Three passengers dead after suspected hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship

Three people have died after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic.One case of hantavirus infection had been confirmed and there were five additional suspected cases, the World Health Organization told Agence France-Presse on Sunday.Of the six people affected, three died and one is in intensive care in South Africa, the WHO added. Two of those who died were a husband and wife aged 70 and 69.The person in intensive care is a 69-year-old British national, according to the BBC.The outbreak was reported on the MV Hondius, which was travelling between Argentina and Cape Verde.The ship is operated by the Dutch tour company Oceanwide Expeditions. The company has not responded to a request for comment.Earlier on Sunday, South Africa’s health ministry told AFP there had been an outbreak of a “severe acute respiratory illness”, which had killed at least two people, with a third in intensive care in Johannesburg.The patient treated in Johannesburg tested positive for hantavirus, a family of viruses that can cause haemorrhagic fever, South African spokesperson Foster Mohale said.Hantavirus is usually caught through contact with urine or faeces from infected rodents, but in rare cases can spread between people. It can lead