Specialized aircraft are en route to evacuate two individuals in need of urgent medical care following a hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius luxury cruise. Oceanwide Expeditions, the company managing the cruise, disclosed that the evacuation of the ill passengers and a guest connected to a deceased passenger is set to take place using two specialized aircraft traveling to Cape Verde, an island nation off the West African coast.
The cruise ship has been stranded near Cape Verde for several days after the country prohibited the ship from docking due to the fatal outbreak that has resulted in the loss of three lives. The company stated that the patients will be medically evacuated to the Netherlands, with no specific timeline provided at this stage. Once the three individuals are safely transferred off the vessel and en route to the Netherlands, the ship will commence repositioning.
The plan now involves the Hondius heading to the Canary Islands, specifically Gran Canaria or Tenerife, which is estimated to require three days of travel. The Spanish Health Ministry has confirmed that it will receive the Hondius in the Canary Islands in compliance with international law and humanitarian principles. Medical teams will examine and treat all passengers and crew upon arrival in the Canary Islands before transferring them to their respective countries.
The World Health Organization suggested the possibility of human-to-human transmission among close contacts aboard the ship. While the virus is not as easily transmissible as influenza or COVID-19, passengers have been advised to remain in their cabins as a precaution, considering that the incubation period can last several weeks. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to determine the outbreak’s origin, with authorities emphasizing the absence of specific antiviral treatments for hantavirus.
The hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, which has resulted in seven confirmed or suspected cases, including three fatalities, has prompted evacuation efforts and raised concerns about potential human-to-human transmission. The ship’s operator has taken disinfection measures despite no reported rodent infestations, and the vessel is expected to continue its journey following the medical evacuations and necessary procedures.
