How South African infectious disease specialists identified the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship
South African infectious disease expert Lucille Blumberg was part of a team that identified a hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship.
On May 1, Blumberg received an urgent email about a passenger evacuated to a Johannesburg hospital with suspected pneumonia.
The ship, MV Hondius, had other sick passengers.
Within 24 hours, Blumberg and her team confirmed the illness was hantavirus, a rare, rodent-borne virus.
The World Health Organization then informed the ship.
The British man who was the first confirmed case is improving.
Three others have died.
The ship has been disinfected in Rotterdam.
Blumberg emphasized the importance of a quick response.
Hantavirus cases rise on cruise ship
- Hantavirus panic: Are we reliving Covid fears all over again? Times Of India —
- WHO says 12th person infected with hantavirus detected in the Netherlands Al Jazeera —
- Hantavirus cases linked to cruise ship rise to 12 after crew member tests positive NBC News —
- Hantavirus risk from rodents may be higher in Pacific Northwest USA Today —
- How South African scientists identified hantavirus on a cruise ship thousands of miles away ABC News —