What is the story about?
GENEVA (AP) — The cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak, currently stranded off the coast of Cape Verde with nearly 150 people aboard,
awaits clearance to proceed to Spain’s Canary Islands. Health authorities in South Africa and Switzerland have confirmed the identification of a strain of the virus that can transmit between humans in rare instances. Three passengers have died, and several others have fallen ill due to hantavirus aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius. The virus typically spreads through inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings.
The MV Hondius departed from Argentina on April 1 for an Atlantic cruise, initially planned to include stops in Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and various other locations. However, the itinerary has been altered due to the health crisis aboard.Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, announced that three patients with suspected hantavirus infections have been evacuated from the ship and are en route to the Netherlands. He emphasized that the U.N. health agency is collaborating with the cruise ship operators to monitor the health of both passengers and crew closely.
Among the evacuated patients is the ship's doctor, as reported by Spain’s health ministry, which indicated that the doctor, initially set to be flown to the Canary Islands, is now being transported directly to the Netherlands following an improvement in his condition.
Authorities in Switzerland confirmed that a man who traveled on the cruise ship and returned from South America has tested positive for the virus and is receiving treatment.
Spain’s health ministry stated late Tuesday that the MV Hondius would dock in the Canary Islands upon request from the World Health Organization and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Despite opposition from regional leaders, the government maintained that it would ultimately make the decision.
Currently, the luxury cruise ship remains stranded off the coast of Cape Verde, with the World Health Organization indicating that passengers are isolating in their cabins.
South African health authorities have reported identifying the Andes strain of hantavirus in two passengers aboard the ship, while Swiss officials confirmed the same strain in their patient.
The World Health Organization has noted that the Andes virus, a specific hantavirus species, is primarily found in South America, especially in Argentina and Chile. Although it can be transmitted between individuals, such occurrences are rare and typically require close contact.
The South African Department of Health disclosed that its findings stemmed from tests conducted on passengers after their evacuation from the ship to South Africa.
One British passenger is currently in intensive care in a South African hospital, while tests on another passenger were conducted posthumously following her death in South Africa.
A statement from Switzerland's Federal Office of Public Health indicated that the infected man returned from the cruise ship with his wife at the end of April, although further details about their travel route remain unclear. His wife is currently self-isolating despite showing no symptoms.
The public health office reassured that there is currently no risk to the Swiss public. The WHO reported that the infected man responded to an email from the ship’s operator regarding the health situation and subsequently sought medical attention.
As the MV Hondius awaits its journey to Spain’s Canary Islands, Spanish authorities expressed concerns about the potential risks to the local population, prompting regional president Fernando Clavijo to request an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Clavijo voiced his worries about the ship's arrival, stating, “Neither the populace nor the government of the Canary Islands can rest assured because it is clear that the danger to the population is real.”
The World Health Organization confirmed that the ship's original itinerary included multiple stops across the South Atlantic, including Antarctica and various remote islands. The cruise company has provided limited details regarding the specific locations where passengers disembarked.
Reportedly, a Dutch passenger suspected to be the first hantavirus case was removed from the ship at St. Helena, where his wife also departed and later died in South Africa. A British man was evacuated at Ascension Island and is now receiving care in South Africa.
