Three people with suspected hantavirus, including a British doctor, have been medically evacuated from the cruise ship linked to the outbreak.
The British crew member, along with a Dutch colleague and another passenger, were taken from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship, MV Hondius, for onward travel to the Netherlands, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed.
Spanish health officials said that the British medic was in a more “stable condition” after previously being in a “critical condition”.
The evacuation means the ship, with close to 150 people on board, can now continue on its three-day journey to the Canary Islands after Spanish authorities gave permission for the vessel to dock.
But a row has erupted with the president of the Canary Islands expressing concern over the ship docking in Tenerife.
It has been anchored off Cape Verde while arrangements were put in place to evacuate the crew members.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO, posted on X: “Three suspected hantavirus case patients have just been evacuated from the ship and are on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands in coordination with WHO, the ship’s operator and national authorities from Cabo Verde, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands.
“WHO continues to work with the ship’s operators to closely monitor the health of passengers and crew, working with countries to support appropriate medical follow-up and evacuation where needed.
“Monitoring and follow-up for passengers onboard and for those who have already disembarked has been initiated in collaboration with the ship’s operators and national health authorities.
“At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low.”
A Dutch couple and a German national who had been on the ship, the MV Hondius, have died, while a British national is in intensive care in South Africa. There are also at least four Australian nationals on the ship.
Since the start of the outbreak, the WHO has emphasised that the risk to the public is low.
People are usually infected by hantavirus through contact with infected rodents or their urine, their droppings, or their saliva. Human-to-human transmission is rare.
But a limited spread among close contacts has been observed in some previous outbreaks with the Andes strain, which has spread in South America, including Argentina, where the cruise trip started in March.
South Africa’s health ministry said contact tracing was under way, with 62 contacts identified, including flight crew and healthcare workers. The contacts will be monitored until an incubation period has passed. None have been diagnosed with the hantavirus so far.
Cape Verde was meant to be the ship’s final destination, but the country off West Africa has not allowed the vessel to put passengers ashore because of the outbreak.
Late on Tuesday, the Spanish health ministry said it had been asked by the World Health Organization and the EU to take the MV Hondius and had agreed “in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles”.
The ship will dock at the Canary island of Tenerife, the Spanish state broadcaster TVE reported on Wednesday, citing sources from the country’s health ministry.
The Spanish archipelago’s leader, Fernando Clavijo, said he was opposed to the ship docking and requested an urgent meeting with Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez. The decision ultimately belongs to the central government.
Tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement: “At this stage, the planned destination for m/v Hondius following the successful medical transfer is the Canary Islands.
“Oceanwide Expeditions remains in close and continual discussion with relevant authorities regarding our exact point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and a precise timeline.
“We are unable to confirm the details of onward travel for guests at this stage. This is dependent on medical advice and the outcome of stringent screening procedures.
The UK prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has said plans are being made for the “safe onward travel” of Britons on the ship.
The Foreign Office confirmed that it has been directly in touch with all British passengers onboard the ship.
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