Hantavirus Spread Among Close Contacts on Cruise Ship

The virus usually spreads from rodents. However, the WHO said something different. On the MV Hondius, it could have spread among “really close contacts”. The WHO stressed that the risk to the public remains low.

Two crew members are due for medical

evacuation. One is British. The other is Dutch. Both displayed “acute respiratory symptoms”. The ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, confirmed this. They will fly to the Netherlands.
The MV Hondius set sail from Argentina about a month ago. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean. The ship is now anchored near Cape Verde. That is off Africa’s west coast.
Medical teams from Cape Verde have boarded the ship. The WHO supports them. Spokesperson Tarik Yasarevic told the BBC. Testing is now happening for other passengers and crew with symptoms.
Images from the ship show workers in hazmat suits. They are in a smaller vessel alongside.