The Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius – which has been at the centre of an alarming hantavirus outbreak in the Atlantic Ocean – has 149 passengers and staff, including two Indian crew members.
The outbreak has already killed three people and initiated a huge global health response with multi-country involvement and the World Health Organisation (WHO). With worries increasing around the spread of the rare virus, a lot of people across India ask the same question: What is the status of the two Indians who are on board?
According to reports, the two Indians are part of the ship's crew. However, authorities and the cruise operator have not released their identities, medical states or precise roles on the vessel. According to news reports, both Indian nationals remain aboard as health officials still supervise and monitor all members for symptoms.
Oceanwide Expeditions’ MV Hondius became headlines around the world after passengers aboard suffered from extreme respiratory disease during a voyage that started in Argentina. Investigators believe the outbreak is caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus, one of a handful of variants that can spread only through limited human-to-human transmission.
The vessel was first grounded near Cape Verde when authorities began restricting passenger movements to stop the spread of the infection. At least five cases were confirmed in the laboratory, and further suspected infections were still under surveillance, according to reports.
Three deaths associated with the outbreak have also been documented. The WHO, however, has said that the global risk remains limited, although the cruise-ship outbreak is noteworthy enough to enable international monitoring and contact tracing operations.
Some passengers from foreign countries had left by the time the outbreak was widely known, and health agencies in Europe, North America, and elsewhere have since been tracking those who might have been exposed. Currently, there is no official confirmation that the 2 Indian crew members are infected or symptomatic.
Indian authorities are said to be doing diplomatic and international health touchpoints in order to keep an eye on the situation. No formal medical updates are available for their exact condition. Hantavirus is usually transmitted by exposure to infected rodent urine, saliva, or droppings.
Symptoms may lead to fever, muscle and GI discomfort and fatigue, before severe respiratory complications develop in more severe infections. Andes strain is particularly worrying, health experts say, since infrequent people-to-person transmission has been reported in recent outbreaks.
Now the MV Hondius is reportedly heading for the Canary Islands under some medical supervision, where more tests of vessels are expected, as well as isolation measures and passenger evacuation guidelines. International health agencies are on high alert as investigations into what caused the outbreak and where it spread continue.
