On May 6, 2026, a Dutch-flagged Cruise Ship, MV Hondius, Anchored Off Cape Verde Was Evacuated Due to Suspected Hantavirus Infections.
The vessel, carrying 149 people, including 88 passengers and 61 crew members, was prevented from docking in Praia, remaining offshore while awaiting transfer to Spain’s Canary Islands.
The World Health Organization reported eight cases, with three confirmed and three deaths. Among the evacuees were citizens from the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany, who were transferred to specialized hospitals, underscoring the challenges of managing infectious diseases at sea.
The ship had set sail from Argentina on April 1, 2026, and traveled through Antarctica and the South Atlantic before the outbreak was detected on May 2.
A former passenger is receiving treatment in Zurich, and others have been hospitalized in South Africa. Passengers are currently isolating in their cabins, with contact tracing ongoing across multiple countries. Officials have emphasized that the overall public health risk remains low.
The Andes orthohantavirus (ANDV), the strain identified in this outbreak, can spread through person-to-person contact or respiratory droplets, posing a higher risk in confined spaces like cruise ships.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: Africanews
Source: Alexis Caraco
