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Five Ukrainians Confirmed Safe Aboard MV Hondius Cruise Ship Amid Hantavirus Outbreak
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![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
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Five Ukrainian citizens are currently on board the MV Hondius cruise ship, where an outbreak of hantavirus has been recorded, RBC-Ukraine reported on May 7, citing the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ukrainians, who are part of the ship’s crew, have shown no signs of the disease. “The health condition of the five Ukrainian citizens, crew members of the MV Hondius, is satisfactory; no signs of the disease have been found in them,” the Ministry told reporters.
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As of the morning of May 7, the vessel is en route to the Canary Islands in Spain, with arrival scheduled for May 9. Upon docking, all passengers and crew members will undergo full medical examinations. The Ukrainian Embassy in the Netherlands remains in constant contact with the ship’s operating company, RBC.ua notes.
Five people have already been evacuated from the vessel due to hantavirus symptoms. Two evacuees have confirmed diagnoses and are undergoing treatment in South Africa and Switzerland. Three others with suspected infections were transported to medical facilities in Germany and the Netherlands.
Hantaviruses can infect and cause serious disease in people worldwide. People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva. It can also spread through a bite or scratch by a rodent, but this is rare, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe and potentially deadly disease that affects the lungs. Symptoms of HPS usually start to show 1 to 8 weeks after contact with an infected rodent.
Early symptoms can include:
fatigue
fever
muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups like the thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders
About half of all HPS patients also experience:
headaches
dizziness
chills
abdominal problems, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
Four to 10 days after the initial phase of illness, the late symptoms of HPS appear. These symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath. Patients might experience tightness in the chest as the lungs fill with fluid.
HPS can be deadly. Thirty-eight percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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