Passanger have Contracted Hantavirus in Switzerland

A former passenger on the cruise ship MV Hondius has fallen ill in Switzerland, Swiss authorities report. South Africa confirms that the virus on board is the Andes virus, the only strain of hantavirus that is transmissible between humans. Meanwhile, three passengers are being evacuated.

Three people have died in an outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius, which is anchored in the Atlantic Ocean.

The WHO had previously stated that a total of seven passengers had fallen ill with suspected hantavirus, but on Wednesday authorities in Switzerland announced that a former passenger who had returned home had been confirmed infected with hantavirus and is now being treated in Zurich.

The South African Department of Health, where several infected passengers have been taken, confirmed on Wednesday that tests have detected the Andes virus. It is the most dangerous variant of the hantavirus and the only one that spreads between humans, reports the Spanish newspaper El País.

The Canary Islands say no

The MV Hondius is anchored off Cape Verde, which was supposed to be the ship’s final destination. The WHO announced on Wednesday morning that the evacuation of three people from the ship is underway, reports AFP. Previously, the ship’s own doctor, among others, was reported to be among those who fell ill.

On Tuesday, Spain agreed to allow the ship to dock in the Canary Islands, but on Wednesday, regional president Fernando Clavijo backtracked.

“I cannot allow it to come here,” he told the radio network Onda Cero.

“There is not enough information to reassure the public and guarantee their safety.”

Clavijo is now demanding an emergency meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez instead.

Reading and watching movies

On board the ship, the decks and common areas are deserted, and medical staff are wearing protective gear. Passengers are wearing face masks and doing their best to isolate themselves.

“We’re just waiting for the authorities to find a solution,” passenger Qasem Elhato told the AP news agency.

“The mood is good. We’re keeping ourselves busy by reading, watching movies, drinking hot beverages, and things like that.”

Meanwhile, the WHO is trying to track down passengers on a flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 25. On board was a woman whose husband had died on the ship, and who herself passed away the day after arriving in South Africa.

^{Cover photo: The MV Hondius at anchor off Cape Verde on Tuesday. Photo: Arilson Almeida/AP/TT}