Three people have died and around 150 passengers remain stranded aboard a cruise ship off Cape Verde following a suspected hantavirus outbreak, prompting urgent international health coordination and evacuation efforts.
The vessel, MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, had been traveling from Argentina before anchoring near Praia, where authorities have restricted docking to contain potential risks.
The World Health Organization reported one confirmed and five suspected cases of hantavirus on board, a disease typically transmitted through contact with infected rodent waste and capable of causing severe respiratory illness.
Among the fatalities were a Dutch couple aged 70 and 69, and a third passenger identified as a German national.
The man died after developing symptoms including fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea upon arrival at St Helena, while his wife later died in a Johannesburg hospital after evacuation.
A British national remains in intensive care in South Africa, where laboratory tests confirmed hantavirus infection.
Two crew members, one British and one Dutch, also require urgent medical attention, though disembarkation has been delayed pending authorization from Cape Verdean authorities.
Passengers onboard include tourists from multiple countries, notably the United Kingdom, United States, and Spain.
Health authorities have emphasized that the broader public risk remains low, noting that hantavirus is not easily transmitted between humans.
"The risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or travel restrictions," said WHO regional director Hans Kluge.
Efforts are underway to medically evacuate affected individuals and potentially screen and disembark passengers at alternative locations, including the Canary Islands.
The ship’s operator confirmed it is managing “a serious medical situation” while coordinating with health officials across involved countries.
Investigations into the source of the outbreak are ongoing, with experts examining whether infections occurred onboard or during earlier stops in South America.
Given the incubation period of one to eight weeks, health specialists warn that additional cases may still emerge in the coming weeks.