Passengers must stay on hantavirus cruise until it reaches the Canary Islands

• A suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship has resulted in three deaths, with a British man currently hospitalised in South Africa.
• Two crew members, one British and one Dutch, displaying acute respiratory symptoms, are being medically evacuated to Europe.
• The ship, currently near Cape Verde, has been denied disembarkation and is now en route to the Canary Islands, a voyage expected to take three days.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) is coordinating with authorities, with Dr Maria van Kerkhove suggesting a working hypothesis of both rodent exposure and limited human-to-human transmission.
• Passengers and crew will undergo a comprehensive risk assessment upon arrival in the Canary Islands, considering the hantavirus incubation period can extend up to eight weeks.

IN FULL

Passengers not allowed to leave suspected hantavirus cruise ship until Canary Islands