Three people have died on a cruise ship in the Atlantic - one of them confirmed as the victim of hantavirus, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

WHO told AFP: “To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases. Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.”

The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, travelling from Ushuaia, in Argentina, to Cape Verde.

A patient being treated in Johannesburg tested positive for a hantavirus, a family of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic fever, South African spokesman Foster Mohale said.

Hantaviruses are spread by rodents, in particular contact with their urine, droppings and saliva, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

A WHO spokesman said: “WHO is aware of the cases of severe acute respiratory illness on a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic.

“Investigations and a coordinated international public health response is underway. We will share more information as it becomes available.”

A source close to the case, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the provisional toll was three dead, including a Dutch couple.

The first person to develop symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger. He died on board the ship and his body was currently on the island of Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.

His 69-year-old wife also fell ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital.

The third case, a 69-year-old Briton, was also evacuated to Johannesburg.

Discussions were underway to decide whether two other sick passengers should be placed in isolation in hospital in Cape Verde, after which the ship would continue to Spain’s Canary Islands, the anonymous source said.

The MV Hondius is listed as a polar cruise ship on the websites of several travel agencies. It is operated by a Dutch-based tour company, Oceanwide Expeditions.

One of the cruises offers an itinerary departing from Ushuaia for Cape Verde, with stops in the islands of South Georgia and Saint Helena.

According to several online ship-tracking sites, the MV Hondius was just off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday.

The vessel can accommodate around 170 passengers and has some 70 crew members.

Humans can catch hantaviruses from contact with infected mice or rats or their droppings, or being bitten or inhaling contaminated dust.

There are multiple types of hantaviruses in different parts of the world, with different symptoms.

AFP contacted Oceanwide Expeditions but has not yet had a reply.

- AFP