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By Olivia Le Poidevin<\/p>\n
GENEVA, May 4 (Reuters) – The World Health Organization said on Monday there was no need for panic \u200cand the risk to the public was low after \u200cthree people died and three fell ill following a suspected outbreak of the rodent-borne \u200bhantavirus on a cruise ship in the Atlantic.<\/p>\n
Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions said it was “managing a serious medical situation” on a polar expedition ship, the MV Hondius, which was off Cape Verde, an island nation off Africa’s \u200cwestern coast.<\/p>\n
The cruise left \u2060Argentina about three weeks ago with around 150 passengers and stopped in the Antarctic and other locations on \u2060its way to Cape Verde, according to media reports.<\/p>\n
“The risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or \u200btravel restrictions,” \u200bWHO regional director for Europe, Hans \u200bKluge, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Kluge \u200csaid the WHO was acting with urgency to support the response to the outbreak and working with the countries involved to support medical care, evacuation, investigations and a public health risk assessment.<\/p>\n
“Hantavirus infections are uncommon and usually linked to exposure to infected rodents. While severe \u200cin some cases, it is not \u200beasily transmitted between people,” Kluge said.<\/p>\n
A Dutch \u200bForeign Ministry spokesperson confirmed \u200bthat two Dutch passengers had died but gave no \u200cfurther details.<\/p>\n
The WHO said in an \u200bX post that \u200bone of the sick passengers was in intensive care in South Africa. Sky News reported the passenger is British, citing \u200bSouth Africa’s Department of \u200cHealth.<\/p>\n
Lab tests have confirmed hantavirus in one of the six \u200bpeople, the organisation said.<\/p>\n
(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; Editing \u200bby Miranda Murray and Andrew Heavens)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n