Deadliest virus on earth inside MV Hondius luxury ship; Two indians on board

MADRID: The world is gripped in anxiety over the spread of Hantavirus on the MV Hondius luxury ship. Health experts cited this virus as the deadliest and rarest disease on Earth. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said there was no need to be alarmed. Hantavirus spreads through prolonged contact and in a very different way. Therefore, the WHO says that there is no need to panic, expecting a pandemic-like situation.

There are 149 people on board, including two Indians. Three passengers on the Hondius have died of the hantavirus, which is spread by rats. Eight people are undergoing treatment. People from 23 countries are on board. The identity of the Indian crew members on the ship and their health conditions are not known.

The disease is caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus. This disease, which spreads among humans, is not airborne. The disease can spread between people in close contact, and from a person to a doctor who is treating them.

The first to be infected was a Dutch couple who were birdwatching in Ushuaia, the southernmost city on Earth. Argentine researchers believe the cause may have been the couple breathing in microscopic particles from rat droppings on the ground. They had no symptoms before boarding the ship.

The first passenger died on board on April 11. The cause of death was not yet known. His wife was with him when the body was repatriated. On April 27, Oceanwide Expeditions received information that his wife had fallen ill during the return trip and had later died.

On May 2, a German citizen died on board the ship. This prompted the WHO to intervene and ask for the ship to be docked in Cape Verde. The ship is currently sailing from Cape Verde to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. Three patients in critical condition were evacuated by air ambulance. The remaining passengers will be disembarked on May 11.

The WHO has warned that the number of infected passengers on the ship could rise as it can take up to eight weeks for the virus to show symptoms. Hantavirus lives in rats. They do not show any symptoms. The virus becomes fatal to humans when rat droppings and urine dry up and become airborne dust. Even if you do not touch the rat, you can still become infected through the air.

It starts like a fever. There will also be headaches, muscle aches, and dizziness. The first five days will look like a normal fever. As the disease progresses, the lungs will fill with fluid. There will be difficulty breathing. The body will go into a state of shock.

Hantavirus has been reported in India before. In 2008, as many as 28 cases were confirmed in warehouse workers, farmers, and tribal rat catchers in Tamil Nadu. In 2021, a quarry worker was also diagnosed with the disease. The real concern for India is the lack of diagnosis. Because Hantavirus looks like dengue or leptospirosis, doctors often do not recommend the diagnosis. This delays the diagnosis of the real disease.