Three to Be Evacuated from Cruise Ship Hit by Hantavirus Outbreak

Three people aboard a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak off the coast of Cape Verde are set to be evacuated in the coming hours, the country’s health ministry has said.

Medical teams who boarded the MV Hondius have assessed that all three are clinically stable. 

Two air ambulances will assist with the evacuation, with one already in Cape Verde and a second en route. 

A medical specialist is also expected to join the operation, according to reports.

The development follows a warning from the World Health Organization (WHO) that some human-to-human transmission may have occurred among passengers. 

Three people have died and several others have fallen ill since the outbreak began.

WHO's director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, said close contacts between some cases meant transmission could not be ruled out, though the risk to the wider public remains low.

"This is not a virus that spreads like flu or like COVID. It’s quite different," she told reporters.

Kerkhove added that any suspected person-to-person spread would likely have been between close contacts such as married couples.

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Almost 150 people, including 17 Americans, remain on board the ship, which is anchored off Praia, the capital of the West African archipelago. 

The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed Ushuaia in Argentina last month on a voyage across the Atlantic, calling at remote islands before several passengers developed a severe respiratory illness.

Seven hantavirus cases have been identified so far, two confirmed and five suspected. 

A Dutch couple and a German national have died, while a British national is in intensive care in South Africa but is said to be improving. 

One of those being evacuated is reported to be linked to the German national, according to the tour operator.

Once the three individuals are in transit to the Netherlands, the ship is expected to sail to the Canary Islands, either Gran Canaria or Tenerife, for a full epidemiological investigation and disinfection.

However, Spanish authorities have yet to confirm the final port.

Strict health and safety measures, including isolation and hygiene protocols, remain in place on board. 

The operator announced the atmosphere on the ship "remains calm" and passengers are "generally composed."