Cape Verde arranges air evacuation from MV Hondius due to hantavirus outbreak
Cape Verdean health authorities said on Monday they were preparing an air evacuation of patients from the Dutch cruise ship Hondius, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing Xinhua.
On 2 May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius, en route from Argentina to Cape Verde, resulting in three deaths and illness among several passengers.
Cape Verde’s National Director of Health, Angela Gomes, said the ship was not allowed to dock as a precautionary measure under international health regulations. The vessel is being held offshore near the port of Praia. There are 147 people on board, including three mild cases that are stable and being monitored without hospitalization.
Cape Verde’s authorities say the situation is under control, poses no public risk, and that the ship will remain under surveillance. The vessel entered Cape Verde’s waters after alerts about an outbreak involving severe cases and deaths.
Gomez noted that samples have been collected and are being analyzed, including in international laboratories, to identify the disease. Evacuations are being coordinated with the UK and the Netherlands, and an air ambulance is expected.
Earlier, it was reported that the World Health Organization had announced the deaths of three people from hantavirus infection aboard a cruise vessel.