Three people have died after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus on board a cruise ship sailing between Argentina and Cape Verde.
So far, one case of the potentially deadly virus has been confirmed, according to the World Health Organisation, which stressed that the risk to the public remains low.
However, the suspected outbreak has raised questions over whether the virus, which is normally spread by contact with rodents, is being transmitted between humans.
Virginie Sauvage, the head of France’s National Reference Centre for Hantaviruses, told AFP in an interview that identifying the specific strain will provide crucial insight into what happened on the ship.
How common are hantaviruses?
These viruses are found all over the world, with infections occurring year-round. For example, China, Russia and South Korea report several thousand cases a year.
In the Americas, Finland and France, there are several hundred cases annually.
Only certain strains of hantaviruses found exclusively in rodents — rats, mice, and voles — are transmitted to humans.
How dangerous are they?
Hantaviruses are split into two groups: viruses from the old world (Europe, Asia, Africa) and those from the new world (North, Central and South America).
For old world viruses, the mortality rate can be as high as 14 percent. However, in developed nations such as France, fatal cases are extremely rare and mainly affect people with pre-existing health conditions.
Some cases are asymptomatic or limited to body aches, an upset stomach and a mild cough. But rare cases can include kidney problems
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