The cruise ship Hondius remains barred from docking at the Port of Praia, Cape Verde, after health authorities confirmed three additional passengers are displaying symptoms consistent with hantavirus. This outbreak has already claimed three lives on board.
According to the Cape Verdean Ministry of Health, the new cases were identified among the 147 people currently on the vessel, including passengers and crew. The three patients are reportedly in stable condition and are being monitored by specialized medical teams deployed to oversee the clinical evolution of all suspected cases.
The vessel remains anchored at the port entrance with no authorization to disembark, a precautionary measure taken in accordance with International Health Regulations. Authorities emphasized that while there is currently no indication of risk to the local population on land, the priority remains the containment of any potential spread.
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A response operation is active on the ground, featuring teams of doctors, nurses, and laboratory technicians. Hospital beds have also been prepared at the Dr. Agostinho Neto Hospital in the capital to accommodate any necessary evacuations. Authorities have also stated that an air ambulance is on standby should any passenger’s clinical condition deteriorate.
The situation is being managed in coordination with international health organizations and authorities from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, countries associated with a significant number of the affected passengers.
The outbreak has been linked to hantavirus, a rare infectious agent typically transmitted via rodents. At least one case has been laboratory-confirmed, while others remain under investigation. The ship was traveling a tourist route from Ushuaia, Argentina, to the Canary Islands when the first cases of severe respiratory illness emerged.
