Spain Weighs Port Call as Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Remains Adrift
Madrid- Spain said on Tuesday it has not yet decided whether to allow the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has reported suspected hantavirus cases and three deaths, to dock, pending analysis of epidemiological data collected during its stopover in Cape Verde.
Spain’s health ministry said a decision on the most appropriate port would be taken only after reviewing the data, adding that the matter had been communicated to the World Health Organization. The vessel, carrying 149 passengers and crew of 23 nationalities, has been held offshore after Cape Verde denied it permission to dock.
Passengers and crew have been placed under strict isolation measures, including confinement to cabins, hygiene protocols and ongoing medical monitoring, according to the ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions. The company confirmed three deaths during the journey, though it said the role of hantavirus in those fatalities has not been established.
Cape Verde authorities blocked the ship from docking at the port of Praia, citing the need to protect public health.
Officials said there would be no direct contact between those on board and the local population.
The cruise, which departed from Ushuaia in Argentina, reported that one passenger confirmed with hantavirus is currently in intensive care in Johannesburg. Two crew members, one British and one Dutch, also required urgent medical attention, though hantavirus infection in those cases has not been confirmed.
The World Health Organization said the overall risk to the wider public remains low, despite confirming at least one case and identifying several suspected infections. WHO officials said passengers were being advised to remain in isolation while disinfection and containment measures continue onboard.
Spain’s Canary Islands are being considered as a potential disembarkation point where further medical screening could take place, though no formal decision has been announced.
Health authorities in Cape Verde said they were awaiting authorization from the Netherlands and Britain for an air ambulance to evacuate some individuals from the vessel. Medical teams have assessed patients onboard but have not been permitted to transfer them ashore.
The first fatalities linked to the voyage included a Dutch passenger who died onboard on April 11 and his wife, who died on April 27 after disembarking in St. Helena. A German passenger died on Saturday, according to the ship operator.
WHO officials said investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the deaths and whether they are linked to hantavirus. The agency added that while infections are rare and typically associated with rodent exposure, cases can lead to severe respiratory illness and require close monitoring.
