Three individuals suspected of or confirmed to have hantavirus infection were removed from a cruise ship off the coast of Cape Verde on Wednesday, according to the United Nations health agency. Two of the evacuees tested positive for the Andes virus, a variant of hantavirus originating from South America. The ship, which had departed from South America on April 1 for a voyage through the South Atlantic, subsequently continued toward Spain’s Canary Islands with approximately 150 passengers and crew members remaining on board and confined to their cabins.
The outbreak has resulted in three deaths, with one body still aboard the vessel. Eight cases have been documented overall, with five confirmed through laboratory analysis. The initial transmission is believed to have occurred when a Dutch couple contracted the virus while bird-watching in Ushuaia, Argentina, before boarding the ship. Argentine officials investigating the outbreak stated that the couple may have been exposed to rodents during a visit to a landfill as part of their tour.
Hantavirus typically transmits through inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings, though person-to-person transmission is possible but uncommon. The incubation period ranges from one to six weeks or longer. The World Health Organization’s chief epidemic specialist emphasized that the public risk remains low and characterized the situation as a serious infectious disease rather than a widespread threat comparable to other pandemics. No specific treatment exists, but early medical intervention can improve survival chances by providing respiratory support when needed.
Health authorities across Europe and Africa are working to identify and trace individuals who may have had contact with people who previously disembarked from the ship at various locations. Confirmed cases have been identified in Switzerland, South Africa, and the Netherlands. The journey to the Canary Islands is expected to take three to four days, and Spanish health officials stated that the ship’s arrival poses no public health risk. Passengers and crew members currently aboard are asymptomatic, though two infectious disease specialists from the Netherlands have joined the vessel to provide medical support.
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