"The voyage was marketed for explorers eager to venture to "the edges of the map," from Antarctica to some of the most remote islands in the world. It would be a tantalizing trip for tourists with an appetite for adventure - less about trips to the spa and lounging by the pool than a chance to see landscapes few humans have ever laid eyes upon. But this call of the wild was ultimately among the factors that turned the MV Hondius into the epicenter of the first-ever deadly outbreak of hantavirus aboard a modern cruise ship. Eleven cases have been linked to the outbreak so far. Three people are dead, and two others are in intensive care."
"Hantavirus had previously been an obscure illness. Typically spread through exposure to infected rodents' urine and droppings, it's notoriously difficult to diagnose and has no specified antiviral treatment. It was definitively identified relatively recently, in a field rodent near the Hantan River in South Korea in 1978, and finally explained the mystery cause of the "Korean hemorrhagic fever" that infected thousands of United Nations troops during the Korean War. Though rare, the disease has drawn attention in the U.S. over the decades due to its incredibly high case-fatality rate: up to 50% among the strains that circulate in the Americas."
"Western Hemisphere hantavirus strains are so deadly because they can attack the lungs and make them leak. The strains that circulate in Asia and Europe - where hantavirus is more common, and generally less deadly - attack the kidneys. Those who are severely ill can only be treated by putting them on life-support machines that"
A cruise marketed for remote, adventurous travel from Antarctica to isolated islands became the site of the first deadly hantavirus outbreak on a modern ship. Eleven cases have been linked to the incident, with three deaths and two people in intensive care. Hantavirus is typically spread through exposure to infected rodents’ urine and droppings, is difficult to diagnose, and has no specified antiviral treatment. It was identified in 1978 and later explained the cause of Korean hemorrhagic fever. Strains in the Americas can be highly lethal because they can attack the lungs and cause leakage, while strains in Asia and Europe more often affect the kidneys. Severe cases require life-support care.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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