stated that the Dutch expedition cruise ship "Hondius", which was involved in the outbreak of the deadly hantavirus (hantavirus) epidemic, will sail to the Canary Islands after transferring three people involved in the epidemic. Oceanwide Expeditions BV said late Tuesday that two crew members who needed emergency medical attention and one person related to the deceased passenger would be transported. The patients will be flown to the Netherlands on a dedicated flight, but no further details were provided.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 7 cases related to the cruise ship, including 2 confirmed cases of hantavirus infection and 3 deaths. One patient who has been transported is currently in intensive care in Johannesburg. Although hantaviruses are typically spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, the WHO is investigating whether limited human-to-human transmission of this rare respiratory virus may have occurred among close contacts.
“We don’t have the full picture yet, but we have some preliminary judgments,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO director for outbreak and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday. The first patient, a Dutch man, may have been infected off a boat and passed the virus to close contacts, including his wife, who also died. "We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission among close contacts," she said.
Oceanwide Expeditions said that the cruise ship is still parked near Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa. After the transfer work is completed, it will go to Gran Canaria or Tenerife in the Canary Islands, with a three-day voyage. The company said in a statement that relevant matters were still being negotiated with relevant authorities.
The Spanish Ministry of Health posted on the social platform X that the WHO has coordinated with the European Union to request Spain to allow the ship to dock in the Canary Islands. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control is assessing the situation and plans to screen, treat and subsequently repatriate passengers in accordance with joint protocols.
Oceanwide Expeditions said passengers, crew and expedition staff from 23 different countries are being quarantined on the Hondius. The WHO said seven of the nearly 150 people on board were sick. Severe cases can develop into hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, causing fluid in the lungs. Early symptoms are flu-like, but the condition can worsen quickly. Because human-to-human transmission is rare, the overall public risk is considered low.
