Overview
- The MV Hondius, held offshore near Praia, faced a bar on disembarkation Monday as Cape Verde officials moved to protect public health.
- WHO and national agencies report one laboratory‑confirmed hantavirus case and five suspected cases linked to the ship, with three deaths and a 69‑year‑old Briton in ICU in Johannesburg.
- Two crew members remain in serious condition on board as passengers stay isolated in their cabins and local medical teams conduct checks and disinfection.
- Investigators are sequencing the virus and tracing exposures because hantavirus is usually caught from rodent urine or droppings and can incubate for one to eight weeks, which makes pre‑boarding exposure plausible.
- WHO says the public risk is low and is weighing a medical evacuation, with Spain’s Canary Islands under consideration for controlled entry and further care.