Cruise Ship Departs Cape Verde After Hantavirus-Related Evacuations
The Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, has departed Cape Verde following the medical evacuation of three passengers. The incident highlights ongoing health concerns aboard the vessel, which is now en route to the Canary Islands.
Details of the Evacuations and Health Status
Three individuals were evacuated from the MV Hondius and sent to the Netherlands for treatment. Among them are a 56-year-old British man, a 41-year-old Dutch crew member, and a 65-year-old German national. Two of the evacuees have arrived at a hospital in the Netherlands, while the third was delayed on an evacuation flight. None of the three have tested positive for hantavirus, although two are exhibiting symptoms consistent with the virus.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator, noted that the German passenger evacuated was closely associated with a German woman who died on board on 2 May. The cause of her death has not been confirmed as hantavirus. Since the cruise began in Argentina about a month ago, three people aboard the ship have died. One of these deaths has been confirmed to involve hantavirus, while investigations continue for the other two.
Ongoing Measures and Health Precautions
The MV Hondius has 146 people on board from 23 countries. All remaining passengers and crew are under strict precautionary measures and have no symptoms. Infectious disease experts and World Health Organization (WHO) staff have joined the ship to assist with health monitoring and will accompany it to the Canary Islands.
Upon arrival in Tenerife, all aboard will undergo medical assessments. Those deemed fit to travel will be repatriated to their home countries, while Spanish nationals will be quarantined in a defence hospital in Madrid. Spanish health authorities have emphasized that the risk of transmission to the general public is low.
Background on the Hantavirus Situation
The World Health Organization has identified eight cases linked to the ship, including three confirmed and five suspected hantavirus infections. Hantavirus typically spreads from rodents, but in this outbreak, human-to-human transmission is suspected due to close contact among those infected.
South African health authorities have identified the Andes strain of hantavirus in two confirmed patients. This strain is known to have spread between humans in previous outbreaks in Latin America, where the cruise originated.
The ship had been anchored near Cape Verde, off Africa’s west coast, where three additional medical staff boarded before it resumed its journey to the Canary Islands. The decision to allow the ship to proceed has been met with opposition from the Canary Islands’ president, who has requested an urgent meeting with Spain’s prime minister over concerns about the move.