O.M.G. This isn’t what anybody needs to listen to!
There’s at present a cruise ship named MV Hondius stranded close to Cape Verde. It was set to go on an enormous expedition from Argentina to Antarctica, nevertheless it’s hit a serious roadblock only a few weeks into its travels after THREE passengers have died and several other extra have grown sick from a doable hantavirus outbreak. WTF!
Hantavirus is a doubtlessly deadly illness usually handed via contaminated rodent feces or urine. It’s the identical factor that killed Gene Hackman‘s spouse! However, um, on this case, it’s laborious to inform if it’s actually rodents passing it alongside…
Associated: Trump Secret Service Officer Arrested — Terrible Cause Why
The most recent replace from the World Well being Group states that of the 147 passengers and crew on the ship, 7 have develop into sick (together with the three who’ve already handed away). One particular person is critically sick and three others have delicate signs. If anybody’s following this carefully, that’s yet one more sick particular person than final we heard! Uh, oh… Up to now, two instances have been lab examined and confirmed to be hantavirus. The remaining are nonetheless below investigation.
WHO thinks “the chance to the worldwide inhabitants from this occasion [is] low.” However that’s based mostly on “the present info,” together with how the illness typically spreads. However what if this isn’t such a typical model of the virus??

Whereas it’s true that typically this virus is unfold via rodent droppings — that means it might be extremely troublesome to get contaminated on the ship, which doesn’t have an infestation drawback — this hasn’t at all times been the case. As consultants have identified, there’s one pressure of this virus that’s believed to be unfold from human to human!
Dr. Tyler Evans, founder and CEO of Wellness Fairness Alliance, informed Newsweek on Tuesday:
“The Andes virus, which circulates in Chile and Argentina, is the one hantavirus documented to transmit from individual to individual, and it’s uncommon. The Hondius left from Ushuaia, in Argentine Patagonia, which is squarely inside that virus’ vary. That geography issues. It’s the most believable clarification for what we’re seeing, and it’s also the explanation this outbreak mustn’t trigger panic amongst individuals who don’t have any connection to that a part of the world.”
Y’all, that’s regarding AF for anybody on that ship!!!
WHO has even agreed that human-to-human transmission could have occurred on the ship, particularly among the many sufferers who’ve had shut contact with each other (such because the husband and spouse or individuals who shared cabins), they introduced in a press convention on Tuesday. Hear extra:
Yikes!
The virus often begins with delicate, flu-like signs. It might probably take as much as six weeks (or longer) for preliminary signs to indicate, which is one purpose it’s so troublesome to find out the place this virus could have originated. It additionally means extra individuals on the ship could possibly be contaminated and never comprehend it but. It stays unclear precisely how or the place individuals have been contaminated.
The ship’s operator, OceanWide Expeditions, has introduced that the 2 sick crew members and an individual related to the visitor who died on Saturday shall be evacuated from the ship. Then, the ship will journey to the Canary Islands, the place it’s anticipated to dock as investigations proceed.
We want everybody on that ship all one of the best. This can be a very scary scenario! Our condolences to all those that have misplaced a liked one.
[Image created for PerezHilton.com]
