Oceanwide Expeditions is dealing with what appears to be a virus outbreak on board m/v Hondius, which was at anchor off the coast of Cape Verde for some time, but has now left for the Canary Islands. So far, there have been two confirmed cases of hantavirus resulting in at least one death and several suspected cases.
There are 149 people on board, representing 23 different nationalities. The cruise ship left from Argentina on 1 April and followed an itinerary across the South Atlantic, with multiple stops in remote and ecologically diverse regions, including mainland Antarctica, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island. From St Helena, the cruise ship sailed for Cape Verde where it currently still is.
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Three people have died after a suspected Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, according to the World Health Organization.
One case is confirmed and five more are being investigated.
The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was sailing from Argentina to… pic.twitter.com/B2U5HSBcCi
Confirmed and suspected cases
On 11 April, a passenger died on board. The cause of death has not yet been determined. On 24 April, this passenger was disembarked on St Helena, with his wife accompanying the repatriation. She later became unwell during the return journey and died. Both passengers were Dutch nationals. On 4 May, a variant of hantavirus was identified as being present in the woman.
On 27 April, a British passenger became seriously ill on board and was medically evacuated to South Africa. This person is currently being treated in Johannesburg and is in a critical, but stable condition. A variant of hantavirus has been identified in this patient.
On 2 May, another passenger on board died. The cause has not yet been established. This passenger was of German nationality.
At present, two crew members on board, one British, one Dutch, continue to present acute respiratory symptoms that could be caused by the hantavirus, one mild and one severe. Both require urgent medical care. Oceanwide Expeditions says that at present, no other persons with symptoms have been identified, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) speaks of a third suspected case on board.
Evacuation and onwards travel
The Cape Verdean authorities do not wish to allow the passengers to disembark, with the exception of the sick passengers. Local health authorities have visited the vessel and assessed the situation.
Dutch authorities are actively preparing a medical evacuation of the two symptomatic individuals along with the individual associated with the guest that passed away on 2 May. This will involve two specialised aircraft equipped with the necessary medical equipment and staffed by trained medical crews. This has not yet been confirmed.
Sailing on to Las Palmas or Tenerife is being considered, where further medical screening and handling could take place, organised and supervised by the WHO and Dutch health services. This is yet to be confirmed.
UPDATE 6 MAY, 22:45 CET
Oceanwide Expeditions reports that the first of two medicalised aircraft, carrying two of the three individuals transferred from the Hondius on Wednesday, has landed in the Netherlands. The company adds: ‘The two individuals on board have been received by specialist medical and screening teams. The second medicalised aircraft carrying the third individual is currently experiencing a delay. The individual on board this aircraft remains in a stable condition. We will provide an update on the arrival of this second aircraft as soon as possible.’
The company has also confirmed that the cruise ship departed Cape Verde at 19:15 CET and is headed for the Canary Islands. This is expected to take three to four days. Three additional medical professionals have embarked the vessel to provide medical care during the crossing.
SHIELD Response plan on board
The atmosphere on board the Hondius remains calm, with passengers generally composed, states Oceanwide. The shipping company says it is working to provide clarity and reassurance to guests and expedite their disembarkation and medical screening.
The company has implemented stringent health and safety procedures as part of Oceanwide Expeditions’ SHIELD response plan. This is currently at level 3, the highest response level, and includes isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring.
