health
Scramble to evacuate two people from cruise ship amid suspected hantavirus outbreak
Cape Verde blocks MV Hondius from docking in order ‘to protect public health’ after deaths of three passengers
TL;DR
- Three people have died and three are seriously ill on the MV Hondius cruise ship due to a suspected hantavirus outbreak.
- Nearly 150 passengers from 23 countries are in isolation onboard the vessel.
- Cape Verde has denied the ship permission to dock, citing public health concerns.
- The World Health Organization is investigating the suspected outbreak.
- Two crew members are experiencing respiratory symptoms and require urgent medical care.
- The cruise operator is considering sailing to Spain's Canary Islands for further medical screening and handling.
- Hantavirus infections are rare and typically spread by rodents, but can cause severe respiratory illness.