Hantavirus Threat Diverts Cruise Ship from Cape Verde

A cruise ship has departed Cape Verde en route to the Canary Islands following the medical evacuation of three individuals. These individuals were transported to the Netherlands for treatment, though none have tested positive for hantavirus to date.

Three fatalities have occurred among passengers since the ship's departure from Argentina. One death is confirmed to be hantavirus-related, with two others under investigation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified eight cases of hantavirus among those aboard, comprising three confirmed and five suspected cases.

Two British individuals are self-isolating in the UK asourceser potential exposure, having disembarked earlier without symptoms. The Andes strain of hantavirus, known for human-to-human transmission, has been identified in two confirmed patients.

South African health authorities are conducting contact tracing for a deceased passenger who traveled through South Africa. The ship, carrying 146 people from 23 countries, is operating under strict precautionary measures, with infectious disease experts and WHO staff on board.

Upon arrival in Tenerife, all passengers will undergo medical assessment. Non-Spanish nationals will be repatriated, while Spanish citizens will quarantine in a defense hospital in Madrid.