Key Takeaways
- Three passengers on the MV Hondius who are clinically stable will be evacuated by two air ambulances from Cape Verde in the coming hours.
- Seven hantavirus cases have been identified (two confirmed, five suspected); three people have died, including a Dutch couple and a German national.
- WHO acknowledges that limited human‑to‑human transmission may have occurred among very close contacts (e.g., spouses, cabin mates), but stresses the risk to the general public remains low.
- The ship, an expedition vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is currently anchored off Praia, Cape Verde, with roughly 150 people aboard, including 17 Americans.
- After the evacuations, the MV Hondius is planned to sail to the Canary Islands for a full epidemiological investigation, disinfection, and further medical assessment of remaining passengers and crew.
The Cape Verde health ministry announced that three individuals aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, who are clinically stable, will be evacuated within hours using two air ambulances—one already stationed in the country. The decision follows an assessment by Cape Verde medical personnel who boarded the vessel. The evacuations come after the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that limited human‑to‑human transmission of hantavirus may have occurred among people in very close contact, such as married couples or cabin mates, though the virus does not spread like influenza or COVID‑19. WHO’s Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove emphasized that the outbreak poses little risk to the wider public.
The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed Ushuaia, Argentina in early March on an Atlantic expedition that included stops in Antarctica, Saint Helena, and other remote islands. While en route, several passengers developed a rapidly progressing respiratory illness. To date, seven hantavirus cases have been identified: two confirmed (a Dutch man and his wife, and a British national now improving in intensive care in Johannesburg) and five suspected. Three fatalities have been recorded—a Dutch couple and a German national—while a British national remains in intensive care but is improving. Two crew members (one British, one Dutch) are experiencing acute respiratory symptoms awaiting test results, and a seventh person reported only a mild fever that has since resolved.
Health authorities have activated contact tracing for individuals who flew to Johannesburg with the deceased Dutch woman. On board, strict isolation, hygiene protocols, and medical monitoring are in place; passengers report a calm atmosphere, with meals delivered to cabins and limited indoor gatherings permitted. Passenger Jake Rosmarin, a travel vlogger, described the situation as “very real” and praised the crew’s efforts to keep everyone safe and informed.
The evacuation plan calls for the three patients to be flown to the Netherlands. Once they are airborne, the MV Hondius will sail to the Canary Islands—a three‑day journey—where Spanish authorities will conduct a full epidemiological investigation and disinfect the vessel. Spanish health officials said a doctor from the ship in serious condition will also be evacuated to the Canary Islands on Tuesday. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is assisting in determining which additional passengers may need urgent evacuation in Cape Verde before the remainder continue to the Canary Islands for further evaluation and repatriation.
Investigators suspect the index case may have been infected before boarding, possibly during activities in Argentina, given the one‑to‑six‑week incubation period of hantavirus. WHO is considering the Andes virus—a strain known for rare, limited human‑to‑human transmission found chiefly in Chile and Argentina—as the likely culprit, pending viral sequencing results. Hantavirus is uncommon but severe; the CDC notes that roughly 38 % of patients who develop respiratory symptoms may die, with symptoms progressing from flu‑like fatigue to severe shortness of breath, organ failure, and shock. No specific antiviral treatment exists; care focuses on symptom management and, when necessary, intubation for respiratory support.
As the story develops, health agencies continue to monitor the situation, coordinate evacuations, and prepare the ship for its next port of call while ensuring the safety of both passengers and the broader public.