Two Irish nationals are among passengers onboard a cruise ship which has had a suspected hantavirus outbreak.
The MV Hondius was making the trip form Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Verde, off the African coast, when the outbreak happened.
Three people have died on the cruise ship, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The organisation confirmed that at least one of the fatalities was as a result of hantavirus.
A statement read: ‘To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases.
‘Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.’
The cruise ship is currently in West Africa as medics work to evacuate two people with symptoms of the hantavirus outbreak.
The 149 passengers are mainly of British, American and Spanish nationalities.
The Irish Times confirms two Irish nationals are on board the ship.
Hantavirus is an illness typically transmitted to humans from rodents, and typically attacks a person’s kidneys.
The infection is contracted by breathing in the virus which comes via urine or droppings from the infected rodent, or next materials.
Rodents which can transmit the virus include mice, rats, shrews and voles.
The infection can arise when a person touches their eyes, nose or mouth after coming into contact with rodent urine/ droppings and/or nest materials.
The HPSC (Health Protection Surveillance Centre) advised that the best way to prevent infection is avoid contact with rodents and their urine, droppings, saliva and nesting materials.
‘If you need to clean up rodent waste, detailed information on how to do so safely is available on the CDC US website,’ the HPSC urged.
Many will remember hantavirus being widely in the news last year following the death of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa.
The couple were found deceased in different rooms of their New Mexico home, along with their pet dog.
While the circumstances surrounding the couple’s deaths was strange at first, it was later revealed that Ms Arakawa, 64, died from hantavirus.
Mr Hackman, 94, passed away as a result of heart disease a number of days later.
It was also reported that Alzheimer’s disease played a significant factor in his death.
