Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa, the WHO has said

A suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard an Atlantic Ocean cruise ship has left three people dead and three others sick, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday.

The WHO confirmed that it is responding to a public health incident aboard the MV Hondius after one case of hantavirus was confirmed and five others are suspected among passengers and crew. One affected individual is in intensive care in South Africa, the organization said in astatement.

"Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations. Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing," the WHO stated.

The Dutch flagged MV Hondius was reportedly traveling from Argentina toward Cape Verde when several passengers fell ill, the health authorities said. The ship, which was carrying 150 to 170 people, remained outside the port of Praia, Cape Verde's capital, as the authorities managed the outbreak.

One of the deceased, a 70-year-old man, became ill aboard the vessel and died after reaching the British territory of St. Helena Island, according to an AP report citing South Africa's Department of Health. His 69-year-old wife collapsed at an airport in South Africa while trying to board a flight to her home country, the Netherlands, and died later in a South African hospital. The patient currently in intensive care has been identified as a British national.

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The body of the third victim remains aboard the ship, along with two symptomatic crew members in need of urgent medical care, Oceanwide Expeditions, the agency operating the cruise, said in a statement on Sunday. The agency added that repatriation of the crew members depends on authorization from the local Cape Verdean health authorities.

"We are facing complex challenges, and are attempting to expedite the treatment of both individuals with the support and leadership of the Dutch authorities," the agencywroteon Facebook.

Hantavirus infections in humans are typically linked to exposure to the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents, though rare cases of person-to-person transmission have been documented. The virus can cause severe respiratory or renal illness, according to the WHO.

The UN health body said it is conducting a full public health risk assessment while coordinating with member states and the ship's operators to assist with medical evacuations.

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(RT.com)