Passengers aboard a small cruise ship linked to a suspected hantavirus outbreak have been prevented from disembarking in Cape Verde, with the operator saying it was still determining the vessel’s next destination.
Oceanwide Expeditions said on Monday sailing on towards the Canary Islands was being considered, but no final decision had been taken.
Three passengers are due to be medically evacuated in Cape Verde, an island nation off West Africa, while the ship remains anchored off the port of Praia.
“We can confirm that guests will not be disembarking in Cape Verde, except for the three individuals who are planned to be medically evacuated,” the company said.
Las Palmas on Gran Canaria or Tenerife were being assessed as potential disembarkation spots for the rest of the passengers. However, the company said that the next steps were still to be finalized.
“The atmosphere on board m/v Hondius remains calm, with passengers generally composed,” the company said.
The vessel, the Hondius, carrying around 150 passengers and 61 crew, had been travelling from Argentina when multiple fatalities occurred on board.
Three passengers have died, including an elderly Dutch couple and a German national.
The hantavirus was detected in the deceased Dutch woman, the cruise operator said, citing the World Health Organization (WHO).
Another passenger has been laboratory-confirmed as infected with hantavirus and is being treated in an intensive care unit in South Africa.
There are also suspected cases of hantavirus on board. Two crew members have also fallen ill, the operator said.
Hantavirus can cause fever and severe respiratory illness in humans.
Infection typically occurs through exposure to the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rodents. Human-to-human transmission is rare, according to the WHO.
People are usually infected by inhaling disturbed dust, for example when cleaning a dusty shed or attic, or through bites. An outbreak on a ship is unusual.
The WHO said it does not assess a wider public health risk but is supporting passengers and crew while an epidemiological investigation continues.