Two critically ill crew members from the MV Hondus will be evacuated from a quarantined cruise ship via Cape Verde to the Netherlands, according to a report by France 24.
The vessel, which has been gripped by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, is expected to resume its journey to Spain's Canary Islands once the medical evacuations are complete.
Spain's health ministry stated the ship is due to arrive in the Canaries in "three to four days," though the specific port has not been named. The ministry added that once the ship arrives, "the crew and passengers will be duly examined, cared for and transferred to their respective countries."
According to the health ministry, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified the Canary Islands as "the closest place with the necessary capabilities" for medical treatment.
International health response
The MV Hondius has been under quarantine since Saturday after the WHO was notified of a suspected hantavirus outbreak. The disease, typically spread from infected rodents through urine, droppings, and saliva, is linked to the deaths of three passengers.
Cape Verde authorities previously barred the ship from docking, forcing it to remain anchored off the capital, Praia. This isolation has affected 88 passengers and 59 crew members representing 23 different nationalities.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship's operator, indicated on Tuesday that a solution is approaching. The company plans to evacuate two sick crew members to the Netherlands for "urgent medical care," along with a third person who had close contact with a German passenger who died on Saturday.
Ann Lindstrand, the WHO representative in Cape Verde, told AFP that medical evacuation plans are underway and that the MV Hondius "can continue its route" once the process is finished.
Oceanwide Expeditions further noted the ship is expected to sail north toward either Gran Canaria or Tenerife, a journey lasting approximately three days.
The outbreak includes confirmed cases in a Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg and a British passenger currently in intensive care in South Africa. The WHO has also identified five additional suspected cases aboard the vessel.
