The cruise ship MV Hondius, which is involved in a Hantavirus outbreak, is anchored in the waters off the port of Praia, capital of the African country of Cape Verde. The Chinese Embassy in Cape Verde issued a statement on the evening of the 5th local time, saying, “After verification, there are no Chinese citizens on board.” The embassy also reminded Chinese nationals in Cape Verde to strengthen health precautions, according to Xinhua.
On May 4, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Cape Verde’s Ministry of Health reported an outbreak of Hantavirus on board the cruise ship MV Hondius, which is anchored off the port of Praia, the embassy’s statement said.
As of May 4, a total of seven cases had been reported, including two laboratory-confirmed infections and five suspected cases. Among them, three people have died, one is in critical condition, and the other three have mild symptoms. It has been verified that there are no Chinese nationals on board. Cape Verde’s health authorities are working with the WHO and relevant countries to respond to the situation, the embassy said.
The Spanish Health Ministry confirmed on Tuesday evening it would receive the MV Hondius in the Canary Islands “in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles,” Reuters reported.
Once in the Canary Islands, medical teams would examine and treat all passengers and crew and transfer them to their countries, the statement said, per Reuters.
In a response sent to the Global Times, the WHO said that detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing and epidemiological investigations. “Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing,” the WHO added.
The WHO currently assesses the risk to the global population as low and it will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and update the risk assessment.
Two crew members – one British and one Dutch – are due to be medically evacuated by aircraft to the Netherlands after displaying “acute respiratory symptoms,” the ship’s operator Oceanwide Expeditions said. A person linked to a German national who died is also due to be evacuated, BBC reported.
MV Hondius set sail from Argentina on its voyage across the Atlantic Ocean around a month ago. It is currently anchored near Cape Verde, off Africa’s west coast, BBC said.