Three people were medically evacuated from the expedition ship MV Hondius off Cape Verde during an outbreak of Andes hantavirus. Two evacuees had acute symptoms and were in serious condition, while the third was asymptomatic but had been in close contact with a German passenger who died on May 2.
Two patients reached the Netherlands for specialist care, cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said. Transport of the third person was delayed, according to ABC News. The evidence therefore does not support the discovery note’s claim that all three evacuees were infected or had reached the Netherlands.
Counts changed as testing continued on May 6. NBC reported a World Health Organization update listing three laboratory-confirmed cases and five suspected cases. ABC later reported that two additional crew cases brought the confirmed total to five; one of the previously confirmed cases was a passenger found in Switzerland. No symptomatic passengers remained aboard at that point, although crew and medical workers who had cared for patients were considered at greatest risk.
The outbreak involved the Andes strain, which can spread between people through close contact. The WHO and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described the broader public risk as low or extremely low. American health departments monitored returning passengers in Arizona and Georgia; none had symptoms in the supplied report.
Nearly 150 passengers and crew remained on the Hondius as it left Cape Verde for the Canary Islands, a journey expected to take three to four days. Officials were discussing screening, disinfection and repatriation arrangements, while the Canary Islands’ regional government opposed allowing the ship to dock without more information.
Three deaths had been reported in the wider cluster. NBC said the WHO linked them to the Andes strain, while an earlier account carried by Fox said officials had not yet established whether all deaths were connected. That difference reflects the investigation’s developing status rather than a settled conclusion available throughout the day.
The ship added two infectious-disease specialists and maintained monitoring, isolation and hygiene precautions. By the end of the event date, evacuation and testing had clarified parts of the outbreak, but the route of transmission and final number of cases remained under investigation.
