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Health authorities are working to secure a port for the cruise vessel MV Hondius after a suspected hantavirus outbreak left three people dead and others ill while the ship remains off the West African coast.
The vessel, operated by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, has been stranded after Cape Verde authorities refused it permission to dock following the outbreak alert.
The World Health Organisation said the ship may be directed towards Spain’s Canary Islands, although Spanish authorities have requested full epidemiological data before granting access. The ship had earlier departed Ushuaia in Argentina on an expedition cruise route to Cape Verde.
So far, two cases have been confirmed, including one fatality, while five additional suspected infections have been recorded among the 147 passengers and crew. Three deaths have been reported in total, with one passenger now critically ill and others showing milder or no symptoms.
The WHO’s Maria Van Kerkhove said priority is being given to evacuating two seriously ill crew members for urgent treatment, possibly to the Netherlands, before further movement of the ship is allowed.
Passengers and crew from 23 nationalities, including citizens of Britain, Spain, the United States and the Philippines, are currently isolating onboard.
Authorities are also investigating how the virus emerged, with early findings suggesting possible exposure linked to South American travel or Atlantic island stopovers. The WHO noted that human-to-human transmission is generally rare and typically occurs only among close contacts.
Spanish officials said any decision on docking will depend on the epidemiological information gathered, while the Canary Islands government has suggested transferring the vessel to mainland Spain.
The WHO has assessed the wider public risk as low but continues to monitor the situation closely.
