Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak Suspected After 3 Deaths; 150 Stranded Awaiting Evacuation

AMSTERDAM (CNA) — A Dutch cruise ship, the MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is facing a suspected Hantavirus outbreak that has claimed three lives, including a Dutch couple and a German national. Approximately 150 passengers and crew remain stranded on board after the vessel was denied entry by Cape Verde authorities for quarantine reasons. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed two laboratory-confirmed cases and five suspected cases on the ship. Currently, one British passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg, and two crew members require urgent medical attention. Plans are being discussed to allow the ship to dock in Las Palmas or Tenerife, Spain, for screening and evacuation. Experts suggest the infection may have originated from rodents on the vessel or during a stop in Argentina. While Hantavirus rarely spreads between humans, the ''Andes Virus'' variant found in South America has shown potential for person-to-person transmission.