As the two Irish passengers who were stranded on board the hantavirus-hit cruise ship return home, a doctor has shed light on what investigations into the deadly outbreak have uncovered
Two Irish passengers who were stranded aboard a cruise ship where three people died from a lethal virus have returned home, as a doctor reveals new findings from investigations into the outbreak.
So far, 11 cases of hantavirus have been reported among those aboard the MV Hondius, with three deaths reported. Nine cases have been confirmed , while two others remain under investigation. Following the outbreak , the ship docked in Tenerife , where passengers were evacuated for medical care. The two Irish people aboard were transported by military aircraft to Baldonnell air base in west County Dublin on Sunday.
Officials say they had been adhering to isolation measures on the vessel and are in 'good health'. They will now be transferred to a government facility for monitoring during their quarantine period, in line with international guidelines. A doctor working in A&E has now shared what the latest data from the outbreak has revealed. Dr Ahmed, who has built a following of more than 555,000 on TikTok, called the virology findings 'quite interesting'.
'Not only do they suggest that the virus did indeed come from a zoonotic source, meaning that it came from rat urine droppings for the first two patients who were infected, but they also showed that everybody from the cruise ship who has since come back positive, every single genetic sequencing from the virus is exactly identical between them,' he said 'What this means is that those people who have got infected on the ship itself later on, or have come up positive later on in other places, they all were infected from the same source, likely the same person, confirming in a smoking gun way that this was transmitted human to human.
'While this information is important to know, the biggest questions are still unanswered, whether the virus has mutated enough to be more aerostable to transfer better and quicker between human to human, or is it just the cruise ship's unique kind of recycled air environment that allows this transfer to happen so quickly and so widely? ' A French woman diagnosed with hantavirus remains in intensive care at a Parisian hospital, where her condition is described as stable.
Among the 18 evacuees transported to the United States, one has tested positive without presenting symptoms, while another displayed mild signs of illness. On Sunday, 20 British nationals, alongside a German UK resident and a Japanese passenger, were transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, reports the Irish Mirror .
Meanwhile, a British man infected with hantavirus continues his recovery in a Johannesburg hospital in South Africa, with reports indicating positive progress, while another affected person remains in the Netherlands. An additional British citizen who has contracted the virus is self-isolating at his residence on the remote South Atlantic Island of Tristan da Cunha, according to the Mirror .
Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organisation , delivered an update on the situation at a press briefing earlier today. He said: 'Almost 150 people from 23 countries were on this ship for weeks, in what must have been a very frightening situation. Some of the passengers were facing mental breakdown.
' He continued: 'At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak. But of course, the situation could change. And given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.
' By Monday evening, vessel operator Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed 27 people remained on board - 25 crew members alongside two medical staff. In a video statement issued on Monday, captain Jan Dobrogowski expressed gratitude to those aboard, acknowledging that 'the past few weeks have been extremely challenging to us all'. He continued: 'What touched me the most, what moved me the most, was your patience, your discipline, and also kindness that you showed to each other throughout.
I've witnessed your caring, your unity and quiet strength amongst everybody on board, guests and crew alike, and I must commend my crew for their courage and the selfless resolve they showed time and again in the most difficult moments.
'I cannot imagine sailing through these circumstances with a better group of people, guests and crew alike. Most importantly, our thoughts are with the ones that are no longer with us. Whatever I say will not ease this loss. I'd like you to know they are with us every day, in our hearts and our thoughts. '
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