Passengers aboard the MV Hondius, which has been struck by a hantavirus outbreak, will not be allowed to leave the ship until it reaches the Canary Islands, approximately 900 miles northeast of its current location off Cape Verde. The journey is expected to take three days.
Deaths and Hospitalizations
Three individuals who were on the voyage from Argentina to Cape Verde have died, and a British man is currently hospitalized in South Africa. The health authorities in Cape Verde have refused to permit non-symptomatic passengers and crew to disembark.
WHO Expert Comments
Dr Maria van Kerkhove, director for Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention at the World Health Organisation (WHO), provided updates on BBC Breakfast regarding the outbreak. She stated that two crew members—one British and one Dutch—who are experiencing acute respiratory symptoms will be flown to Europe as soon as possible. "Our top priority right now is to support the two ill patients on board to ensure they are Medivaced and receive proper care in the Netherlands," she said.
The ship's owner, Oceanwide Expeditions, announced last night that two air ambulances are being dispatched to bring the crew members back, along with the partner of the German victim who died on board on 2 May.
Transmission Hypotheses
Dr Van Kerkhove explained: "Our working hypothesis is that there could be a couple of different types of transmission: some infection from exposure to rodents or their faeces or saliva before passengers embarked, and potentially some limited human-to-human transmission among close contacts." She emphasized that aside from the two sick individuals, there are no other symptomatic people on board.
Future Plans
The WHO expert noted that they are working with the ship's operators and relevant nations to plan the ship's next destination, the Canary Islands. "We want to ensure they are safe, receive food and water, and are medically evaluated over several weeks," she said. She also thanked South Africa for its laboratory work, which suggests the virus is the Andes strain of hantavirus.
Dr Van Kerkhove added: "This is also a boat that visited many islands for wildlife observation. There could be a mixture of exposures to rodents in different places, but because some cases are close contacts sharing cabins, we assume there is a mix of transmission types."
Incubation Period and Assessment
Hantavirus has an incubation period of up to eight weeks. Dr Van Kerkhove confirmed that Spanish officials are developing a plan for a proper risk assessment once the ship docks in the Canary Islands. "It's not about docking and letting everybody go without any follow-up or support," she said.
