A cruise ship operating in the South Atlantic has become the center of a hantavirus outbreak, with three patients evacuated on Wednesday from the vessel near Cape Verde. The ship, which departed from South America in April and visited remote Atlantic islands and Antarctica, subsequently proceeded toward Spain’s Canary Islands with approximately 150 people remaining aboard and confined to their cabins. According to the World Health Organization, three deaths have been attributed to the outbreak, with one body remaining on the ship. Of eight recorded cases, five were confirmed through laboratory testing.
The Andes virus, a species of hantavirus endemic to South America, has been identified as the cause. Health authorities believe a Dutch couple may have contracted the virus while bird-watching in Ushuaia, Argentina, before boarding the vessel. The couple reportedly visited a landfill during an excursion and may have encountered infected rodents. Hantavirus typically spreads through inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings, though person-to-person transmission can occur under certain circumstances, though such cases are uncommon. The three evacuees included nationals from the Netherlands, Britain, and Germany, with two confirmed infected by testing conducted in Senegal. One evacuee was transferred to a specialized hospital in Germany, while another went to a hospital in the Netherlands.
Health officials have traced contacts of infected passengers across multiple countries. Swiss authorities reported a former passenger being treated in Zurich, while South African officials identified two additional confirmed cases among passengers who disembarked. British health authorities stated that two passengers who departed earlier in the voyage are self-isolating as a precaution. Epidemiologists emphasized that the risk to the general public remains low and noted this represents an unprecedented hantavirus outbreak aboard a vessel. The WHO stated that no specific treatment exists, though early medical intervention can improve survival rates. The ship’s journey to the Canary Islands is expected to take three to four days, with Spanish health officials asserting the arrival poses no public health risk.
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