Lucrezia Ciotti The World Health Organization is monitoring an outbreak of hantavirus on board nave da cruise MV Hondius, off the coast of Cape Verde. Investigations are aimed at clarifying the origin of the infections and the possible presence of human-to-human transmission, while international authorities evaluate evacuation measures and management of the health emergency.
Hantavirus alert on cruise ship: institutional reactions, evacuations, and uncertainty on board.
On the political and logistical front, the Spanish government has called for calm while the possible consequences of the arrival of the nave in the Canary Islands area. The spokesperson Elma Saiz said: "I want to send a message of tranquility", stressing that the situation is being managed jointly with the WHO and that the necessary measures will be taken. The authorities of Spain, the Netherlands, and Cape Verde, together with the international health organization, are examining various operational scenarios, from a possible landing in the Canary Islands to a direct return to the Netherlands.
On board the Hondius, with 149 passengersMeanwhile, tensions are growing. Travel blogger Jake Rosmarin described the situation as highly uncertain: “I'm currently aboard the MV Hondius, and what's happening now is very real for all of us here. We're not just a story, we're people with families waiting for us at home.".
He would later add: “There is a lot of uncertainty, this is the hardest part”, expressing the desire for safety and return.
In parallel, the WHO has clarified that the initial infections may have occurred during the trip to South America of the first two deceased, with subsequent internal diffusion on the shipContact tracing is also underway for another case: a 69-year-old Dutch woman, evacuated from St. Helena to Johannesburg with gastrointestinal symptoms, died in hospital on April 26; her 70-year-old husband had also died earlier on board. The WHO confirmed that "An investigation has been launched to trace the passengers of this flight”, signaling the extension of the epidemiological checks beyond the ship.
Hantavirus alert on a cruise ship: passengers stranded and WHO suspects human-to-human transmission.
The World Health Organization has raised suspicions of a possible human-to-human transmission di hantavirus on board the cruise ship MV Hondius, currently stopped off the coast of Cape Verde. According to health authorities, the clinical picture would include two confirmed cases and five suspected cases, with three deaths recorded, one patient in critical condition and others with mild symptoms; overall "Among the seven cases there are three deaths, one patient in critical condition and three people who reported mild symptomsSome of the passengers have already been evacuated, while others remain on board.
As reported by SkyTg24, Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's head of epidemic preparedness, is said to have explained that "We believe there may be human-to-human transmission among close contacts”, adding that, given the incubation period of the virus (from one to six weeks), “we assume they were infected outside the ship", while not ruling out infections among people in close contact. The prevailing hypothesis is therefore that the first cases originated externally, likely linked to the trip to South America, followed by internal spread on board.
WHO also recalls that hantavirus infection It is usually transmitted through contact with excretions of infected rodents, and that human-to-human transmission remains rare, observed only in specific circumstances such as some variants of the Andes virus. In any case, the agency considers the overall risk "low" and continues epidemiological monitoring. Meanwhile, it has been announced the evacuation of three symptomatic people from the port of Praia to a hospital and subsequent air transfer.