A German national who was aboard a luxury cruise ship affected by a deadly hantavirus outbreak will be taken to a hospital in Düsseldorf for testing, according to a report by Bild newspaper on Wednesday. The passenger reportedly showed no symptoms but had contact with another German woman who later died on board.
The woman is expected to be transported by a high-risk medical unit from the Düsseldorf fire brigade, which has travelled to Amsterdam airport to collect her, Bild reported. The hospital did not immediately comment on the case.
The developments come as authorities continue to manage a widening health crisis linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has been stranded off Cape Verde since early April with around 150 people on board.
Earlier reports confirmed that a Dutch couple and a German national have died since the outbreak began. A British passenger is currently in intensive care in South Africa after being evacuated from the vessel.
Ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions said a planned transfer of three passengers to specialized aircraft was scheduled for Wednesday morning, Cape Verde time.
Separately, health authorities in South Africa confirmed that tests identified the Andes strain of hantavirus in at least two of the cases linked to the ship. According to a presentation seen by Reuters, the strain was found in a Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg and a British man still receiving treatment there.
The Andes strain is known to be the only form of hantavirus with documented human-to-human transmission, although such cases are described as rare and typically require very close contact.
Hantavirus is usually transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their bodily fluids. The World Health Organization has repeatedly said the risk to the wider public remains low.
Contact tracing is underway in South Africa, where authorities have identified 62 contacts, including flight crew and healthcare workers. None have been diagnosed with the virus so far, and monitoring will continue through the incubation period.
The cruise ship, originally travelling from Argentina, was due to end its voyage in Cape Verde but has been denied permission to disembark passengers due to the outbreak.
The Dutch foreign ministry said it is coordinating the evacuation of three patients, including one Dutch national, who will be transferred to the Netherlands for treatment.
Meanwhile, discussions continue over the ship’s next destination. Spanish health authorities have reportedly agreed to accept the vessel under international and humanitarian considerations, with media reports suggesting it may dock in Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
However, the regional leader of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has expressed opposition to the plan and requested an urgent meeting with Spain’s prime minister, though final authority rests with the central government.
Authorities across multiple countries continue to coordinate medical evacuations and containment measures as the situation develops.
