A deadly virus outbreak on an Atlantic cruise ship has doctors sounding the alarm over its potential lethality, with a mortality rate as high as 38% for certain strains, while early flu-like symptoms heighten the risk of misdiagnosis.
“[If] you think about it from that term, it’s pretty terrifying,” Dr. Zaid Fadul said Wednesday, reacting to the risk.
The Andes strain of the hantavirus has taken center stage after an outbreak left at least three people dead with five additional suspected cases reported on the ship, which is anchored off the coast of Cape Verde.
The rodent-borne disease, Fadul said, begins with seemingly benign symptoms like fatigue, chills, muscle aches, headaches and dizziness, but ultimately breaks down blood vessels and leaves victims susceptible to a 35% to 38% mortality rate.
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“It’s very, very common to be misdiagnosed with the flu early on,” he said, describing symptoms that can intensify over the span of a day. “It can become pretty overwhelming pretty quickly.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating the incident. Information posted on the organization’s website states the illness onset occurred between April 6 and April 28, with patients initially experiencing milder symptoms like gastrointestinal issues and fever, followed by rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock.
A multifaceted response, including isolation, care and medical evacuation, is helping manage the outbreak, the WHO said.
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Despite the deadly spread, Fadul attempted to ease concerns that the problem could become much larger.
“I understand people’s concern, anxiety. I will tell you that with the amount of attention and focus and effort being put into containing this, it should keep it contained…” he said.
Fadul said the virus has a long “latency period” and recommended that people who suspect infection be quarantined for up to eight weeks.
“At this point, we’ve identified it. You’ve quarantined everyone. Those people who are at risk are going to be kept away from the general population and, typically, you have to be in really close contact with somebody… to really pick it up person-to-person… and we’ve got the appropriate measures in place, and my suspicion is we’ve hopefully contained this.”
Medical experts previously told Fox News Digital that a rodent vector is typically required to transmit the illness, though contact with contaminated materials or bites can occasionally be the culprit.
Fox News’ Melissa Rudy contributed to this report.
