An aerial view of the MV Hondius Dutch cruise ship anchored in the Atlantic off Cabo Verde on Tuesday.Arilson Almeida/The Associated Press
Four Canadians are among the nearly 150 people stranded aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship off the west coast of Africa, where three passengers have now died from suspected cases of hantavirus, according to Global Affairs Canada.
The Canadians are reported to be safe and uninfected, according to the federal agency.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the Netherlands-based company operating the cruise, said Tuesday it has implemented its highest-level response plan on board, which includes isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring.
Rare human-to-human hantavirus transmission suspected on board cruise ship
The vessel set sail from Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1 and remains off the coast of Cabo Verde with 149 people on board representing 23 nationalities. The company said passengers will not be allowed to disembark on the island nation, which is located hundreds of kilometres off the coast of Africa, except for three individuals who have been medically evacuated.
Officials said the ship may head north towards Spain’s Canary Islands, where further medical screening could take place under the supervision of the World Health Organization and Dutch health authorities, though no decision has been confirmed.
Hantavirus is a rare but serious disease that can be fatal. WHO was officially notified on May 2 of a cluster of passengers with severe respiratory illness aboard the cruise ship, including two who had died in April. Another death was reported on May 3.
WHO said that as of May 4, two hantavirus cases have been confirmed and five are suspected. These numbers include the three people who have died. Patients are receiving treatment, with one listed in critical condition.
Hantavirus is primarily transmitted to humans through contact with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents. The ship made multiple stops in remote and ecologically diverse regions of the South Atlantic during its voyage, including mainland Antarctica, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena and Ascension Island. The extent of passenger contact with local wildlife during the trip is being investigated, and WHO said it has been informed there are no rodents on board the vessel.
Although uncommon, limited human-to-human transmission has been documented in previous outbreaks, WHO said.
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The organization said it currently assesses the global public health risk from the infections on board the ship as low.
Jordanian YouTuber Kasem Hato, known as “Ibn Hattuta,” is a passenger aboard the ship. He told The Globe and Mail in an interview that the situation on board is calm.
“People are taking it seriously but without panic,” he said, adding that passengers are maintaining physical distancing and wearing masks as a precaution.
Mr. Hato said while he understands how it looks from the outside given the deaths of passengers, “from the perspective on board, the situation appears to have been significantly overstated.”
While passengers wait for authorities to determine next steps, many are keeping busy by reading, watching movies and enjoying hot drinks, he said.
Jake Rosmarin, an American travel blogger also aboard the ship, said in an e-mailed statement to The Globe that passengers are in good spirits. Oceanwide Expeditions is doing its best to keep passengers safe, informed and comfortable, he added.
Mr. Rosmarin said the ship has a high standard of cleanliness and any allegations that it is unclean are not accurate.