The Hanta virus is on the ship MV Hondius. The ship sails from Argentina to Europe. There are 11 sick people. 3 people are dead. A woman from France is very sick. She stays in a hospital in Paris. A machine helps her with breathing. There are tests in Italy and Austria. The tests are negative for a British man. An Austrian man had contact with a sick person. He shows no signs of the illness. He stays alone for 6 weeks.
The Hanta virus usually comes from mice. Scientists think: Humans infect other humans on the ship. This only happens with very close contact. This virus comes from South America. It is called Andes virus. The illness starts like the flu. People get high fever. They have pain in the back or stomach. Sometimes the eyes swell up. The virus destroys kidneys and lungs. This is very dangerous.
The passengers are now in their home countries. They stay in quarantine. This means: They have no contact with other people. The illness takes up to 6 weeks to show up. Therefore, the people wait for a long time. Experts say: The risk for others is very low. In Austria, there is a new rule. Doctors must report every suspect case now.
