Oceanwide Expeditions has revealed that its expedition ship, the Hondius, is currently still anchored off the coast of Cape Verde.
Three passengers have died, and hantavirus has been detected in two of them. In addition, one medically evacuated passenger is in critical condition. On board, two crew members, one British and one Dutch, have developed acute respiratory symptoms and are reported to be in mild and serious condition, respectively.
According to the disclosed timeline, on April 11, a Dutch passenger died on board, but the cause of death could not be determined on the ship. On April 24, the deceased passenger disembarked with his wife at Saint Helena Island. On April 27, the wife fell ill on her way home and died. A variant strain of hantavirus was detected in both of them.
On April 27, another British passenger fell into critical condition and was medically evacuated to Johannesburg, South Africa. Although a variant strain of hantavirus was detected, the passenger’s condition is described as critical but stable. On May 2, another German passenger died. The cause of death has not been identified.
Preparations are underway for the medical evacuation of the two symptomatic crew members, but the exact schedule is unknown. Two specialized aircraft are expected to be used, with trained medical staff on board. The remaining passengers will not disembark in Cape Verde, and a voyage to Las Palmas or Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands is being considered. The final disembarkation point has not yet been decided.
Hantaviruses are associated with exposure to the urine and feces of infected rodents and, in rare cases, can be transmitted from person to person, potentially causing severe respiratory illness.
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