Three patients suspected of having the hantavirus have been evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship and are en route to the Netherlands for medical care, the World Health Organization confirmed Wednesday. The patients are British, German, and Dutch, with the British national being a crew member. The rare outbreak has already killed three people.
In a significant development, the leader of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, rejected a plan for the ship to dock there, saying decisions were made without consulting local institutions. A flight to evacuate a sick doctor from the ship to the islands has been cancelled.
South African authorities confirmed the Andes strain of hantavirus in two people previously on the cruise, a strain capable of human-to-human transmission. Swiss authorities also reported a positive case in a man who traveled on the ship and returned home. Total confirmed cases now stand at eight, according to the WHO.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius left Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 and is anchored off Cape Verde. Passengers have been told to remain in their cabins. A quarantine, if necessary, could last up to two months. The ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said two infectious disease specialists are en route from the Netherlands.