Deaths, evacuations, and isolation at sea

The Dutch couple and the German passenger are among those who have died. There were still a few aboard that have been affected physically, such as the cultural creation of a British person who was airlifted to South Africa and is working in an intensive care room

People have been ordered to stay in the cabin while the medical staff come on board. They are wearing protective gear, testing the outbreak, and handling it. The local authorities in Cape Verde declared that disembarkation was allowed only to implement quarantine to prevent the spread of the emergency.

The ship is currently under close observation. There are discussions about allowing it to dock in a controlled environment and evacuating it based on epidemiological studies.

Exterior of the Our Lady of Candelaria University Hospital, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, May 6, 2026. (REUTERS)

Why is this outbreak unusual?

Generally, Hantavirus gets transmitted when humans come into contact with a rodent’s urine, droppings, or saliva. Nevertheless, investigators are leaning towards the fact that the strain involved might be the Andes variant, a very rare kind which allows person-to-person transmission, though only in limited cases.

According to experts, no rodents have been sighted on the vessel up to now, which indeed supports the theory that the virus might have been transmitted from one passenger to another in such a closely confined environment.

What is Hantavirus?

Being infected with Hantaviruses can lead to a very severe form of respiratory disease called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which results in death for about 40% of severely affected patients.

Initial symptoms are:

• Fever
• Bodyaches
• Tiredness

Besides that, if the infection continues, a patient may develop very serious breathing problems along with a failure of other organs.

Global health response and risk level

The WHO has highlighted the fact that the outbreak is still very much a rarity and the virus is still mainly contained; therefore, the overall risk to the general public is considered to be low. On the other hand, this unusual pattern of transmission and high fatality makes the situation being monitored intensively.

Health authorities throughout the countries are working together to identify the contacts, carry on the treatment of the patients and find out if the virus was brought in from South America before boarding or it was during the trip.