On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that three individuals suspected of contracting hantavirus have been evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship and are being transported to the Netherlands for medical treatment. The individuals include nationals from the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands, with one of them being a crew member from the UK.
This unusual outbreak has already resulted in three fatalities.
In a recent development affecting the approximately 150 passengers aboard the ship, the leader of the Canary Islands has declined a proposal for the vessel to dock there for further investigation and inspection after the evacuation of the three patients. This plan was organized by the Spanish government in conjunction with the WHO.
Fernando Clavijo, the head of the regional government of the Canary Islands, expressed his disapproval of the plan on Wednesday, stating that he has sought a meeting with Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Clavijo, who represents the conservative opposition, emphasized in a social media post that decisions affecting the Canary Islands must involve local authorities and adequate information for the public.
A planned flight intended to transport a sick physician from the cruise ship to the Canary Islands has been canceled, as reported by a source familiar with the regional presidency, according to the French news agency AFP.
Additionally, South African officials confirmed on Wednesday that they have detected the Andes strain of hantavirus in two individuals who previously traveled on the cruise. This particular strain, primarily found in Argentina and Chile, has the potential for human-to-human transmission, which is not the case with most other strains.
Swiss authorities also revealed that a man who returned from the cruise at the end of April tested positive for the Andes strain. They reassured the public by stating, “There is currently no risk to the Swiss public.”
These developments bring the total number of confirmed cases to eight, as reported by the WHO.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator of the cruise ship, announced that two specialists in infectious diseases are en route from the Netherlands to the vessel and will remain there following its expected departure from Cape Verde.
The MV Hondius, a luxury cruise ship registered in the Netherlands, set sail from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 and has been anchored off the coast of Cape Verde since Sunday.
Ann Lindstrand, the WHO representative in Cape Verde, informed CBS News on Tuesday that the hantavirus does not pose a pandemic threat due to the low likelihood of human-to-human transmission.
She noted that Spanish and Dutch authorities are in active discussions about the next steps for the ship’s passengers, who have been advised to stay in their cabins as much as possible. Lindstrand stated, “If a quarantine is deemed necessary, it will be determined by health authorities in Spain or the Netherlands, in close coordination with WHO’s guidance.”
Should a quarantine be implemented, it could potentially last up to two months, given that the incubation period for hantavirus ranges from one to eight weeks. Lindstrand remarked, “Eight weeks is an incredibly long time to be under quarantine.”
She also mentioned that she has been in contact with a volunteer doctor aboard the ship, who reported that the passengers are managing surprisingly well, even as they express their eagerness to learn about their next destination.
