2 GA Residents Monitored For Hantavirus After Deadly Cruise Ship Outbreak

Georgia health officials say they are monitoring two people who were aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship when a threatening virus began to spread among passengers.

The hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch cruise ship has killed three people and critically sickened one person, the World Health Organization reported Monday.

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Three others have reported mild symptoms of the deadly respiratory illness hantavirus.

Two travelers from Georgia who were aboard the ship are "currently in good health and show no signs of infection," the Georgia Department of Public Health told Patch on Thursday. The residents are following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The MV Hondius, owned and operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, set sail from Argentina and headed for Antarctica and South Atlantic islands. It carried 88 passengers and 59 crew members from 23 countries, WHO reported.

Of the passengers, 17 of them are from the U.S., Oceanwide Expeditions reported. Great Britain represented the bulk of the group with 19 passengers.

Hondius, the first-registered Polar Class 6 ship, departed from Cape Verde, West Africa and was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands on Wednesday. The trip is expected to take three to four days.

The cruise line initially became aware of a medical situation after a passenger died on April 11 while aboard the ship. With crew members unable to determine a cause of death, the passenger (accompanied by his wife) was disembarked on April 24 in St. Helena.

Three days later, his wife became ill and died, Oceanwide Expeditions reported. They were Dutch nationals.

As the days went on, the cruise line said a third person died and others fell ill. Hantavirus, which is primarily spread by rodents, was detected in a critically ill patient, Oceanwide Expeditions reported.

WHO became notified of the deadly outbreak on Saturday. That same day, a lab test in South Africa confirmed a critically ill person in intensive care had contracted hantavirus, the organization reported.

Onset symptoms exhibited during the outbreak have included fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock, WHO reported.

According to the CDC, other symptoms can include breathing difficulties, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and chills.

In addition to rodents, WHO stated hantavirus can also be contracted through urine, saliva and feces.

"It is a rare but severe disease that can be deadly. Although uncommon, limited human to human transmission has been reported in previous outbreaks of Andes virus (a specific species of hantavirus). WHO currently assesses the risk to the global population from this event as low and will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and update the risk assessment," WHO stated.

A specific treatment has not yet been developed for the virus, and the CDC suggested anyone who contracts the virus to rest, rehydrate and treat symptoms.

"Oceanwide Expeditions remains in close and continual discussion with relevant authorities regarding our exact point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests and a precise timeline. We are unable to confirm the details of onward travel for guests at this stage. This is dependent on medical advice and the outcome of stringent screening procedures. Close cooperation continues with local and international authorities, including the WHO, the RIVM, relevant embassies, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Oceanwide Expeditions reported.

Additional medical workers have been deployed to the ship to provide care.