Spain has agreed to allow the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius to dock in the Canary Islands after a hantavirus outbreak on board left three people dead and several others under medical observation.
According to Al Jazeera, the Spanish Health Ministry confirmed late Tuesday that the ship would be permitted to sail to the Canary Islands after the World Health Organization (WHO) informed authorities that Cape Verde lacked the facilities required to manage the situation.
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âThe Canary Islands are the closest location with the necessary capabilities,â Spainâs Health Ministry said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera. The ministry also noted that several Spanish citizens were among those onboard.
The luxury expedition vessel has been anchored off the coast of Cape Verde after the outbreak triggered international concern. A Dutch couple and a German national died after reportedly contracting the rare hantavirus disease during the voyage.
The WHO and Spanish authorities are now coordinating medical evacuations and quarantine procedures as the ship heads toward either Gran Canaria or Tenerife.
WHO flags possible human-to-human transmission
The outbreak has raised concern among global health officials because hantavirus is typically spread through infected rodents rather than direct human contact.
However, WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said there were indications that limited human-to-human transmission may have occurred among close contacts onboard, particularly between passengers sharing cabins.
âWe do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission thatâs happening among really close contacts,â Van Kerkhove said in Geneva, according to Al Jazeera.
The WHO nevertheless maintained that the risk to the wider public remains low.
According to Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator of the vessel, two crew members require urgent medical attention while another suspected patient has shown only mild symptoms. A British passenger evacuated earlier from the ship is currently in intensive care in South Africa.
The Spanish government said all passengers and crew would undergo medical examination and treatment upon arrival in the Canary Islands before being repatriated to their home countries in coordination with the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
Antarctic expedition turned into health emergency
The MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia in Argentina on April 1 for an Antarctic expedition cruise that included stops at the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha.
The voyage, marketed as a luxury nature expedition, carried 88 passengers and 59 crew members from 23 countries, according to the WHO.
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Health officials believe the first infected passengers may have contracted the Andes strain of hantavirus while travelling in Argentina before boarding the vessel. Other possible exposures may have occurred during bird-watching excursions to islands inhabited by rodents.
The first reported victim, a Dutch passenger, died on April 11. His wife later developed symptoms and died after being flown to Johannesburg, according to the WHO.
Spainâs Health Ministry said special medical facilities and transportation arrangements would be used once the ship docks in order to prevent contact with the local population and protect healthcare workers.
