The cruise ship MV Hondius is currently sailing towards Spain’s Canary Islands following a three-day anchorage near Cape Verde, as authorities manage an outbreak of the deadly hantavirus.
The vessel, operated by a dutch-based polar adventure operator named Oceanwide Expeditions, has seen three fatalities and multiple medical evacuations since departing Argentina on 1 April, reports Al Jazeera.
Two individuals in serious condition were evacuated to the Netherlands for treatment, while a third passenger in a stable condition awaits a delayed evacuation flight.
The evacuees include a 41-year-old Dutch crew member, a 65-year-old German national, and a 56-year-old former British police officer, Martin Anstee.
Anstee is reportedly in a stable condition in the Netherlands.
Fatalities and suspected cases
Three people have died since the voyage began a month ago. A 69-year-old Dutch woman died in South Africa on 26 April after disembarking at St Helena; her husband had died on board on 11 April.
A third death involving a German woman occurred on 2 May, and her body remains on the ship.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified eight cases linked to the ship – three confirmed and five suspected.
South African health authorities confirmed the presence of the Andes strain of hantavirus, which is prevalent in Latin America where the cruise originated.
While the virus typically spreads through rodents, experts believe this outbreak may have involved human-to-human transmission through close physical contact.
International monitoring
Global health agencies are tracking passengers who disembarked earlier in the journey.
The WHO confirmed a male passenger tested positive for the virus upon returning to Switzerland and is receiving care in Zurich. In United Kingdom, the Health Security Agency stated that two Britons are self-isolating at home after potential exposure.
In United States, health departments in Georgia and Arizona are monitoring three residents who remain asymptomatic.
Meanwhile, a KLM flight attendant in Amsterdam was hospitalised with symptoms after coming into contact with the deceased Dutch woman during a brief boarding in South Africa.
Arrival protocols in Spain A total of 146 people from 23 countries remain on board the MV Hondius under strict precautionary measures.
Spain’s Health Minister, Mónica García, stated that all individuals will undergo medical assessment upon arrival in Tenerife. Foreign nationals fit for travel will be repatriated, while Spanish citizens will be quarantined at a defence hospital in Madrid.
However, the plan has met with resistance from Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo, who opposed the ship’s entry into the territory, citing a lack of technical criteria and information.
WHO official Dr Maria Van Kerkhove emphasised that the risk of transmission to the general public remains low, noting that hantavirus transmission differs significantly from influenza or COVID-19 as it requires “really physical contact”.
