Two crew members evacuated from cruise ship hit by hantavirus outbreak

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Two crew members of a cruise ship hit by a suspected outbreak of hantavirus are due to be medically evacuated. So far there have been three deaths among people on the vessel, which was carrying a total of 147 people, including passengers and crew, from Argentina to South Georgia, St Helena and other islands in the South Atlantic. The ship, which has been anchored off Cape Verde for several days, will sail to the Canaries. Hantavirus is usually spread through the urine, faeces or saliva of rodents. But the World Health Organization said it could have been passed on through “really close” contact between shipmates. A Dutch husband and wife died after being taken ill on board, while the body of a third person remains on the vessel. Although the first death occurred on 11 April, the WHO was not formally notified of the outbreak until 2 May.