Three people aboard the MV Hondius are set to be evacuated within hours after a hantavirus outbreak on the expedition cruise ship, Cape Verde’s health ministry said. Medical teams who boarded the vessel found that all three were clinically stable, and two air ambulances are being used for the transfer.
The ship is anchored off Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, with almost 150 people still on board, including 17 Americans. The outbreak has already left three people dead and several others ill, while health officials continue to assess who needs urgent care.
Evacuation plans take shape
Cape Verde authorities said one of the air ambulances is already in the country, while the second is expected to assist with the removals. A medical specialist is also due to arrive to help passengers remaining on the ship.
The evacuations follow close coordination between Cape Verde, the tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions, and health authorities in Europe. The plan is to move the three patients first, then allow the vessel to continue toward the Canary Islands.
WHO says close-contact spread cannot be ruled out
The World Health Organization said some human-to-human transmission may have happened on board, although the wider public risk remains low. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said, “The risk to the general public is low,” and noted that any spread would likely involve very close contacts.
She added that the virus does not spread like flu or COVID-19. WHO believes the current cluster may involve the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only type known to have limited human-to-human transmission.
What health officials know so far
Seven hantavirus cases have been identified among people linked to the ship, including two confirmed and five suspected, according to WHO. Three people have died: a Dutch couple and a German national, while a British national remains in intensive care in South Africa and is said to be improving.
The first suspected case was a 70-year-old Dutch man who became sick with fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea before dying on board. His wife later died after collapsing at an airport in South Africa, and Oceanwide Expeditions said she tested positive for a hantavirus variant.
Life on board under strict controls
Passengers remaining on the MV Hondius are under isolation measures, hygiene protocols, and medical monitoring. The company said the atmosphere on board “remains calm,” while passengers are being allowed to collect fresh air on the outer decks.
Travel vlogger Jake Rosmarin, who is among those on the ship, described fear and uncertainty in a video posted on Instagram. He also said in a statement to CNN that passengers can have meals delivered to their cabins, but they are not allowed to gather indoors in areas such as the lounge.
Where the outbreak may have started
Investigators are still trying to determine how the outbreak began. WHO is working on the assumption that the Dutch couple may have been infected before boarding, possibly during activities in Argentina.
The MV Hondius began its journey in Ushuaia, Argentina, then visited Antarctica and later stopped at Saint Helena before anchoring off Cape Verde. WHO said passengers developed symptoms between April 6 and 28, including fever, gastrointestinal problems, rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and shock.
Next steps for the ship and remaining passengers
After the three evacuations, the ship is expected to sail to the Canary Islands, a trip that the tour operator said would take about three days. Spanish authorities are preparing to conduct a full epidemiological investigation and disinfection once the vessel arrives.
Health officials in Spain also said a doctor from the MV Hondius, who is in serious condition, will be evacuated to the Canary Islands. There, passengers will be examined, treated, and transferred onward to their home countries as authorities continue tracing possible exposure among those connected to the voyage.