A cruise ship struck by a deadly outbreak of hantavirus, a rare pathogen carried by rodents, remained moored in the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday as government and health authorities scrambled to find a way to evacuate sick people onboard.
Three people have died and another three were ill on Monday after the ship, the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, departed from Argentina in early April with about 150 passengers and crew members, according to the World Health Organization. Two of those cases — one death and a man who was evacuated and hospitalized in South Africa — have been confirmed as hantavirus infections, while the others are suspected cases, the W.H.O. said in a statement.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the vessel’s operator, said in a statement on Monday that the ship was moored off the coast of Cape Verde, an archipelago off West Africa. Passengers have not received permission from Cape Verde officials to disembark, Oceanwide added.
“At this stage, a definitive disembarkation point for the remaining guests on board MV Hondius has not been finalized,” Oceanwide said in the statement. The company noted that it was exploring the possibility of sailing on to the Canary Islands, which are about 1,000 miles farther northeast, and disembarking there.
The three people who died were a Dutch couple and a German national, according to Oceanwide.
Oceanwide said that it was cooperating with the Dutch authorities to evacuate two crew members exhibiting respiratory symptoms and an individual “associated with” the German national who died on the ship on Saturday.
“The atmosphere on board MV Hondius remains calm, with passengers generally composed,” the company said in its statement.
Hantavirus refers to a family of viruses that are carried by rodents. Though primarily transmitted to humans by inhaling particles of mouse feces or urine, human-to-human transmission of the disease has also been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the illness caused by the virus, can cause flulike symptoms and is fatal in nearly four in 10 people.
With symptoms appearing up to eight weeks after initial exposure, health officials are still trying to identify the initial source of the infection.
The MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, making stops in “remote and ecologically diverse” regions such as mainland Antarctica, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena and Ascension Island, according to the W.H.O.
“The extent of passenger contact with local wildlife during the voyage or prior to boarding in Ushuaia remains undetermined,” the W.H.O. said.
Jake Rosmarin, a travel influencer who is on the MV Hondius, said in a social media post on Monday that the uncertainty on the ship was weighing heavily on him.
“What’s happening right now is very real for all of us here,” he said in a tearful video. “All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home.”
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