3 suspected hantavirus patients evacuated from cruise ship, sent to Netherlands

Three suspected hantavirus patients have been evacuated from a luxury cruise ship stranded off the coast of Cape Verde and are being transferred to the Netherlands for treatment, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.

The evacuation comes as health authorities race to contain an outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, which has been marooned for days with around 150 people on board. The vessel is expected to proceed to Spain following the medical transfer.

The outbreak has already claimed multiple lives. A Dutch couple and a German national who were passengers on the ship have died, while a British national remains in intensive care in South Africa. Meanwhile, Switzerland confirmed that a passenger who returned from the voyage has tested positive for the virus and is undergoing treatment in Zurich. Authorities there said the case poses no risk to the wider public.

South African officials have identified a strain of hantavirus among the victims that, in rare instances, can spread between humans—raising concerns among health agencies monitoring the situation.

Despite the fatalities and infections, the World Health Organization has maintained that the overall risk to the general public remains low.

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