00:15A luxury expedition cruise turned into a medical emergency after a suspected
00:21hantavirus outbreak left several people dead and triggered urgent global concern.
00:26The incident unfolded aboard the MV Hondias operated by ocean-wide expeditions currently
00:33anchored off the coast of Cape Verde. The vessel carrying 149 people from 23 countries became the
00:41center of alarm after three passengers died under unclear circumstances. Among the victims were a
00:48Dutch husband and wife along with the German national. Health authorities later confirmed
00:54hantavirus in at least one fatal case and in a 69-year-old British passenger now in critical
01:00condition. He is being treated in intensive care in Johannesburg where doctors say his condition
01:07remains serious but stable. Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly disease typically spread
01:14through contact with infected rodents including their urine saliva or droppings. It can cause severe
01:21respiratory illness but human-to-human transmission is extremely rare. That's what makes this situation
01:27especially puzzling. So far two confirmed cases have been identified while several others including a
01:35British crew member are under investigation. Despite growing concern the World Health Organization says
01:41the overall risk to the public remains low and has urged against panic. Still emergency response measures are
01:49now underway. Plans are in motion for medical evacuations using specialized aircraft as authorities race to move
01:57critically ill individuals for urgent treatment. Meanwhile the cruise operator says the atmosphere
02:03on board remains calm even as uncertainty continues to grow. Investigators are now working to determine
02:10whether all the cases are linked and how a virus typically spread by rodents may have appeared on a ship
02:16where no rodents have reportedly been found. The vessel which began its journey from Ushuaia in Argentina is now
02:23awaiting further instructions with possible plans to sail toward the Canary Islands for passenger disembarkation
02:30and medical screening. For now this remains a developing and deeply concerning situation. A rare virus, unexplained
02:39deaths and a growing mystery at sea. And one critical question still remains. How did Hantavirus reach a luxury cruise
02:48ship
02:48in the middle of the ocean?
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