Three people died due to infection with Hantavirus on the luxury cruise ‘MV Hondius’ operated by a Dutch company in the Atlantic Ocean. Eight people have also been found infected with Hantavirus, one of the world’s most deadly and rare viruses. There are a total of 149 people on this cruise, including crew members. India Today had sought detailed information about the passengers and crew from the company operating this cruise. It has been revealed that three Indian crew members are also on board the cruise.
Dutch polar travel company Oceanwide Expeditions, which operates MV Hondius, shared details of the passengers and crew with India Today. According to the information received from the company on May 4, citizens of a total of 23 countries are aboard this cruise. Most of the passengers are said to be tourists from Britain, America, Germany and Spain. Talking about the crew, most of the names in this list are of citizens of Philippines, Ukraine, Netherlands and Poland. Among the list of crew members coming from these countries, there were two names who linked this story to India.
According to the Dutch company, there are a total of 61 crew members on this cruise, out of which the maximum of 38 crew members are from the Philippines. There are five crew members each from Ukraine and Netherlands and two from India. These Indian crew members are among the thousands of employees who operate such cruises and ships. Two of the crew members belong to India. Their nationality has also been confirmed, but no information regarding their status has been given by the Dutch company.
Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions has said that it will share only verified information. The company refused to share any additional information regarding the Indian crew members. The company also did not provide any information as to what was the role of the Indian crew on the cruise, how was their health and whether they had come in contact with the infected passengers.
It is noteworthy that on this cruise spread hantavirus The Andes strain of can spread between humans, but this virus does not spread through air nor by sitting close to each other. The virus spreads only through very close contact, such as between husband-wife, cabin mates or a doctor treating someone without protection. This cruise of the Dutch company had left from the southern tip of Argentina on April 1.
The passengers on this cruise had gone on a bird watching tour in Ushuaia. The Argentine investigation team believes that this tour could be the source of this infection. Ushuaia is considered the southernmost city in the world. It is believed that the virus reached the cruise through a Dutch couple participating in this tour. The couple did not feel any problem then. They boarded the ship and had no idea that they were carrying one of the rarest and deadliest viruses in the world.
beginning of deaths
A passenger died on this cruise on April 11. The cause of this death on the cruise could not be known at that time. On 24 April his body was landed at St. Helena, where his wife accompanied him. On April 27, Oceanwide Expeditions received information that the wife’s health had deteriorated during the return trip and she later died. Both were Dutch citizens.
On 27 April, another passenger became seriously ill and was flown to South Africa for medical attention. This person is currently admitted in the ICU of a hospital in Johannesburg and his condition is said to be serious but stable. A variant of Hantavirus has been found in this patient.
Also read: New face of Hantavirus seen, news of human-to-human spread on cruise ship
The issue of death of passengers on the cruise did not stop here. On May 2, a German passenger also died on the ship. By then an alert had been sent to the World Health Organization and the ship was ordered to stop in Cape Verde. At present, this ship has left Cape Verde and is heading towards Tenerife in the Canary Islands of Spain.
Also read: ‘Will not let the ship with Hantavirus stop’, now Spanish island also refuses to take cruise
Three serious patients aboard this cruise have been evacuated through air ambulance. The remaining passengers will disembark from the ship on May 11. Health agencies in Europe are trying to trace more than 80 passengers who had traveled with the infected woman when the disease was not even confirmed.
How much risk is Hantavirus for India?
India is not completely unaware of Hantavirus. A study conducted in Tamil Nadu in 2008 confirmed 28 cases among warehouse workers, farmers and tribals as well as rat catchers. In 2021, a mine worker was also found infected with Hantavirus. The real concern for India is not the spread of infection on a ship, but low detection.
Also read: Will Hantavirus become an epidemic like Corona? WHO’s statement came, alerted 12 countries
Doctors sometimes mistake Hantavirus for dengue or leptospirosis. This outbreak is a reminder that the world’s most dangerous pathogens do not need passports. They travel with us – in a speck of dust, on a forest trail or on a ship crossing the Atlantic.
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