Two Indian crew members are among the 149 people aboard the Atlantic cruise ship, where three passengers died after being infected with hantavirus. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius departed from Argentina last month and is headed to Spain's Canary Islands.
Most passengers onboard were from Great Britain, the United States, Germany and Spain. The crew members were mostly from the Netherlands, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Poland.
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However, the current status of the Indians is unknown.
Hantavirus is a rodent-borne infection that, in rare cases, can be transmitted from person to person. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has clarified that the risk to the wider public is "low".
Also read | Hantavirus outbreak on Atlantic cruise ship: Why Argentina leads in cases
Three passengers on board died after falling sick, and among them, two tested positive for hantavirus.
When does the infection become life-threatening?
According to doctors, though the symptoms begin mildly, the disease could accelerate and damage organs quickly. The kidneys filter waste, balance fluids, and manage minerals in the blood. When hantavirus strikes, it can rapidly compromise this filtration system, often leading to serious health complications.
Hantavirus becomes life-threatening when it affects the lungs.
According to experts, there are instances where some people develop Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a severe, often fatal infection, where fluid leaks into the lungs and makes breathing extremely difficult.
However, the initial symptoms would be fever, headache, muscle pain and fatigue. But within days, it could lead to chest tightness and severe shortness of breath.
Not just the kidneys and lungs, severe infection could affect multiple organs, including the heart.
What makes the treatment challenging is the lack of specific medical interventions. There is no specific vaccine or antiviral medication that has been proven effective once the pulmonary stage begins. Treatment is strictly supportive, focusing on managing the patient’s symptoms in an intensive care setting.
