Inside the cruise ship at the center of a rare hantavirus outbreak

Key Points:

• A rare hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship off the coast of West Africa has resulted in three deaths and at least four illnesses among nearly 150 passengers and crew, with passengers isolating in their cabins as a precaution.
• The ship, currently anchored near Cape Verde, plans to move to Spain’s Canary Islands after medically evacuating three individuals via specialized aircraft to the Netherlands; Spanish authorities are monitoring the situation but have yet to decide on a port of call.
• Health teams in protective gear have been deployed to the vessel, and strict isolation, hygiene, and medical monitoring protocols are in place, with passengers practicing social distancing and mask-wearing similar to COVID-19 measures.
• The World Health Organization is investigating possible human-to-human transmission, though hantavirus typically spreads through inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings; no rats have been found on board, and the first infected person likely contracted the virus before boarding.
• Contact tracing and heightened safety protocols have been implemented in affected regions, but officials emphasize the risk of a broader public health threat remains low.