A CRUISE ship stricken by a deadly hantavirus outbreak is set to head for the Canary Islands, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic management, said the agency was ‘working with Spanish authorities’ and that the MV Hondius, currently held off Cape Verde, would sail to the Canary Islands for a ‘full epidemiological investigation,’ El Pais reported.
It comes after seven passengers reportedly fell ill on board, including three who died, with the WHO confirming two hantavirus cases through laboratory testing.
Around 150 people – including two sick crew members – remain stranded aboard the vessel after it was refused entry to Cape Verde on Sunday.
Van Kerkhove added that Spain would carry out a ‘a complete disinfection of the vessel and a risk assessment for passengers on board.’
However, Spanish and Canarian health authorities appeared to contradict the account, stressing that no final decision has been made and that negotiations are still ongoing.
Manuel Dominguez, vice-president of the Canary Islands government, said the region would require ‘guarantees’ before agreeing to receive the ship.
On Monday, operator Oceanwide Expeditions had said it was ‘floating’ the option of sending the MV Hondius to Las Palmas or Tenerife so passengers could disembark and undergo ‘new medical tests.’
The proposal followed statements from Cape Verdean health authorities that passengers would not be allowed to disembark while the WHO-led investigation continued.
Hantaviruses are typically carried by rodents such as rats, mice and voles.
Humans can become infected through inhalation or contact with contaminated droppings, urine or saliva, while person-to-person transmission is possible but rare.
The viruses can cause two main illnesses. One affects the respiratory system and is fatal in roughly 38% of cases, with symptoms including fever, fatigue, muscle pain and diarrhoea.
The other form can lead to headaches, abdominal and back pain, fever, and in severe cases, kidney damage.
Experts say the incubation period can be up to two weeks, meaning further cases could emerge among passengers in the coming days.
Scientists have also noted the outbreak may not have originated on the ship, but potentially during excursions on land.
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