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Three Evacuated From Cruise Ship in First-Ever Hantavirus Outbreak at Sea

Two confirmed and one suspected hantavirus case prompt evacuations from MV Hondius. Nearly 150 passengers remain isolated aboard as ship heads to Canary Islands.

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Hantavirus Outbreak Prompts Evacuations From Cruise Ship

Three passengers have been evacuated from the MV Hondius after a deadly hantavirus outbreak—the first ever recorded on a cruise ship, according to CBS News.

Two of the evacuees have confirmed hantavirus infections, while one is suspected of infection, according to PBS NewsHour. The three were transported to the Netherlands for treatment after the ship departed Cape Verde on Wednesday. A British man was among those evacuated, according to BBC World.

Nearly 150 people remain aboard the vessel, including 17 Americans, isolated in their cabins as the ship heads to Spain’s Canary Islands, PBS NewsHour reports. Investigators are racing to control the outbreak, which has also been linked to three deaths reported in South America, according to Al Jazeera.

Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly pathogen typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings. The outbreak aboard a cruise ship represents an unusual setting for the disease, which is not typically associated with maritime transmission.

Health authorities have not yet disclosed how the virus spread among passengers or crew, or the total number of confirmed cases aboard the vessel beyond the three evacuees.

Watch for updates on passenger health screenings and the ship’s arrival in the Canary Islands, where further medical assessments may occur.

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