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Hantavirus cruise ship part of Antarctic tourism boom that some want better regulated

Hantavirus cruise ship part of Antarctic tourism boom that some want better regulated

By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, May 8 (Reuters) - Tourism in the Antarctic Peninsula is a niche but booming industry powered by deep-pocketed adventure-seekers travelling thousands of miles to marvel at penguin colonies and take "polar plunges" in sight of icebergs.
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Antarctica's Tourism Boom Raises Concerns Over Contamination and Disease Risks

Antarctica's Tourism Boom Raises Concerns Over Contamination and Disease Risks

Tourism to Antarctica is increasing rapidly, driven by fears of irreversible melting due to climate change. This surge in visitors has raised alarms among scientists and environmentalists about potential contamination and disease risks. A recent hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship has highlighted these concerns. The ship, MV Hondius, followed a common route from Argentina to Antarctica, a region experiencing significant ice melt. The World Health Organization is investigating the outbreak, suspecting the virus was contracted before boarding. The Antarctic Treaty governs the region, aiming to protect its environment, but the rise in tourism challenges these protections.
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Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Involves Californians, Public Health Risk Assessed

Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Involves Californians, Public Health Risk Assessed

A suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship has resulted in three deaths and several severe illnesses among passengers, including some from California. The ship, which traveled from Antarctica with stops in Argentina, is linked to the Andes virus, a form of hantavirus that can spread from person to person. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring the situation, and California public health officials are assessing the risk to state residents who were aboard. Hantavirus is a rare but deadly disease that affects the lungs and is typically contracted through inhalation of particles from infected rodents. The CDC has stated that the risk to the American public is extremely low at this time.
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Experts race to write guidance to contain first ship-borne hantavirus outbreak

Experts race to write guidance to contain first ship-borne hantavirus outbreak

By Jennifer Rigby LONDON, May 8 (Reuters) - As the cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak sails towards Tenerife, World Health Organization officials are racing to draw up step-by-step guidance for what should happen next for the nearly 150 passengers when they finally reach land on Sunday.
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Argentina Investigates Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship with U.S. Passengers

Argentina Investigates Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship with U.S. Passengers

Argentina is investigating a hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, which departed from the country and has seen several passengers return to their home countries, including the U.S. The World Health Organization ranks Argentina as having the highest incidence of hantavirus in Latin America. The outbreak has resulted in three deaths and several infections, with passengers being monitored in various countries. The Argentine health ministry is working to trace the source of the virus, which is believed to be linked to climate change and increased rodent populations. The virus can cause severe lung disease and is typically spread through contact with infected rodents.
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New Jersey Health Officials Monitor Two Residents for Potential Hantavirus Exposure

New Jersey Health Officials Monitor Two Residents for Potential Hantavirus Exposure

Two residents of New Jersey are under observation after potentially being exposed to hantavirus, according to state health officials. The individuals reportedly came into contact with a person who had been aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, which recently experienced a hantavirus outbreak after departing from Argentina. The ship is currently en route to Spain's Canary Islands, where passengers will be repatriated or quarantined. The New Jersey residents were not passengers on the ship; their potential exposure occurred during air travel abroad. Neither individual is showing symptoms, and the risk to the general public in New Jersey is considered very low. Hantaviruses in the U.S. are typically carried by rodents and do not spread between people. However, the Andes virus strain involved in the MV Hondius outbreak is known for rare person-to-person transmission, requiring close contact.
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WHO Monitors Hantavirus Cases Linked to Cruise Ship MV Hondius

WHO Monitors Hantavirus Cases Linked to Cruise Ship MV Hondius

The World Health Organization (WHO) is tracking a series of hantavirus cases associated with the cruise ship MV Hondius. As of the latest reports, eight cases have been identified, including three fatalities. Five of these cases have been confirmed as hantavirus, while the remaining three are suspected. The ship, which departed from Argentina, has been denied disembarkation in Cape Verde and is now heading to the Canary Islands. The WHO has stated that the overall public health risk remains low. Passengers from various countries, including Switzerland and South Africa, have been affected, and some have been evacuated for medical treatment in Europe. The virus is primarily spread through contact with infected rodents, and human-to-human transmission is rare.
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Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Leads to Multiple Deaths and Evacuations

Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Leads to Multiple Deaths and Evacuations

An outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius has resulted in the deaths of three passengers and the evacuation of others for medical care. The ship, which departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, traveled across the South Atlantic, making stops at various islands. The virus, typically spread through contact with infected rodents, has been linked to the Andes strain, which can transmit between humans under close and prolonged contact. The outbreak has raised concerns due to the virus's severe respiratory illness potential, known as hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), which has a high mortality rate. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other health agencies are monitoring the situation closely.
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What we don't know about the hantavirus outbreak as the cruise ship nears Spanish territory

What we don't know about the hantavirus outbreak as the cruise ship nears Spanish territory

Countries are preparing to manage 140 people on a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands
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How public health officials are tracing contacts of hantavirus victims

How public health officials are tracing contacts of hantavirus victims

Health officials in several countries are trying to identify and follow people who may have been exposed to hantavirus on a cruise ship
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Antarctica's tourism boom raises concerns about contamination and disease

Antarctica's tourism boom raises concerns about contamination and disease

A deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that visited Antarctica has highlighted a growing tourism trend
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Countries scramble to track passengers of virus-hit cruise ship

Countries scramble to track passengers of virus-hit cruise ship

By Bart H. Meijer AMSTERDAM, May 7 (Reuters) - Countries worldwide scrambled on Thursday to trace people who had left the cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak before it got marooned off the coast of Cape Verde, in an effort to prevent further spread of the disease.