Nairobi/Brussels, May 4 (EFE).- A cruise ship affected by a suspected hantavirus outbreak is considering disembarking passengers in Spain’s Canary Islands after Cape Verde refused it entry on public health grounds, the vessel’s operator said Monday.
The vessel’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said options under consideration include Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Tenerife, where further medical examinations and case management could be carried out.
The company said that, following three deaths linked to the outbreak and the medical evacuation of one passenger to South Africa, two crew members remain on board with acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe, and require urgent medical attention.
Oceanwide added that preparations are under way for possible medical repatriation, but stressed that any disembarkation, evacuation or testing would require authorization and coordination with local health authorities, which have already assessed the situation on board.
The operator said it is working closely with international and national bodies, including the World Health Organization, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, relevant embassies and the Dutch foreign ministry.
Strict precautionary measures have been implemented on board, including isolation protocols, enhanced hygiene measures, and continuous medical monitoring.
Passengers have been informed of the situation and are receiving support, the company said.
A total of 149 people of 23 nationalities are on board, including 14 Spanish citizens.
Earlier, Cape Verde denied the cruise ship permission to dock in its capital, Praia, after the suspected hantavirus outbreak on board, citing precautionary measures to protect public health.
“Following a technical and epidemiological assessment, national health authorities decided not to authorize the vessel’s docking at the Port of Praia, applying the precautionary principle in accordance with the International Health Regulations,” the Cape Verdean Ministry of Health said in a statement.
The vessel had been flagged by international health bodies over a reported outbreak of respiratory illness.
Authorities said the ship has remained at sea under constant monitoring since entering the country’s waters on Sunday.
A specialized medical team, including doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians, is providing care on board, while contingency plans have been prepared at Dr. Agostinho Neto Hospital, the country’s largest hospital, in case patients require advanced treatment.
The number of symptomatic cases has risen from two to three, after the vessel’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said late Sunday that two crew members required urgent medical care and had not been allowed to disembark.
The company also confirmed that the ship is transporting the body of a person who died in connection with the suspected outbreak.
The World Health Organization said Sunday that at least six cases had been recorded so far, including three deaths and three people currently ill.
Among the fatalities are a Dutch couple, a 70-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman, who died separately on Saint Helena and in Johannesburg, where their bodies remain, according to South African health authorities.
Another patient, a British national who fell ill while the ship was traveling from Saint Helena to Ascension Island, is in critical isolation in Johannesburg, receiving further treatment. This is the only case so far confirmed in laboratory tests.
The vessel, the MV Hondius, departed from Argentina on Mar. 20 and was en route to the Canary Islands, with stops including Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, and Tristan da Cunha.
Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with urine or feces of infected rodents. In rare cases, it can spread between people and cause severe respiratory illness. EFE
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