Cruise Ship with Hantavirus Outbreak Allowed to Dock in Canary Islands

A Luxury Cruise Ship Stricken by Hantavirus Outbreak Receives Permission to Sail to Canary Islands

The World Health Organization (WHO) has granted permission for a luxury cruise ship, MV Hondius, to sail from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands after being hit by a suspected hantavirus outbreak. The Spanish Ministry of Health announced that the ship would be allowed to proceed with its journey, citing the Canary Islands as the closest location with necessary capabilities.

The ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, reported that two crew members require urgent medical care and a British national who was evacuated from the ship is in intensive care in South Africa. A Dutch couple and a German national have died of the rare disease since its outbreak in April.

According to the WHO, the MV Hondius had 88 passengers and 59 crew members on board when it set sail from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for Cape Verde. The organization suspects that some human-to-human transmission may have occurred among close contacts on board the ship.

The Spanish Ministry of Health stated that the Canary Islands are the closest location with necessary capabilities to receive the ship’s passengers and crew. Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist those affected, including several Spanish citizens.

A medical flight carrying the ship’s doctor, who is gravely ill, will be received by the Dutch government following a formal request from the Dutch government. The ship will journey on to the Canary Islands once those who need evacuation are taken off the ship.

The WHO reiterated that the risk to the wider public is low and that human-to-human transmission is not common. However, the organization noted that some rare cases of human-to-human transmission have been observed in previous outbreaks of the Andes strain of the virus.

The MV Hondius will dock in either Gran Canaria or Tenerife after a three-day journey from Cape Verde. Upon arrival, all passengers and crew will be examined, treated, and repatriated to their respective countries, with necessary safety measures taken to protect health workers and avoid contact with local populations.

Source: Al Jazeera