Posted on 05/04/2026 9:18:47 AM PDT by V_TWIN
The luxury MV Hondius cruise ship at the center of a deadly suspected hantavirus outbreak has been refused permission to dock in the West African island nation of Cape Verde, officials said Monday.
Roughly 150 people are currently trapped on the Dutch cruise liner off the African coast after three passengers died and others became seriously sick with symptoms.
The ship, which was on a weekslong polar cruise from Argentina to Antarctica, had requested help from local health authorities on Sunday following the latest death.
So far, no one has yet been allowed to disembark, the company operating the cruise said.
Authorities in Cape Verde, for their part, said they had not allowed the Dutch-flagged ship to dock as a precaution, citing the “aim of protecting national public health.”
Three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – have died in recent weeks following the suspected hantavirus outbreak.
Medics are now also working to try to evacuate at least two people with symptoms of the deadly virus.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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OK cruise ship haters....have at it
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170 passengers(Wikipedia). Small potatoes.
Not a hater. Everyone I know who’s been on one loved it. It doesn’t interest me, however. Stories like this don’t help.
Hantavirus is not _generally_ contagious between humans. But conditions aboard the ship must be filthy with rodents and their feces for this to happen.
Ironic that Europe must take in “refugees” without question nor inspection. Yet the folks in Cape Verde have the sense to order the crew and passengers to remain on board while the emergency is sorted out. Surely Europe can dispatch a team and/or hospital ship to assist the cruise ship.
The other day when the headline was Atlantic cruise I thought between the US and Europe it it’s not
I love cruising but I’m not interested in traveling around Africa or South America
“...a Three Hour Tour! ...a Three Hour Tour!..”
“The Love Boat.....”
What are lot of people refuse to recognize is millions of people take cruises annually without incident.
Same with flying....millions flying safely but the focus is always on the bad things that happen.
The people shouldn’t be contagious, but rats could run off…
Part of me thinks Castro was God’s punishment on Cuba for reneging on their deal to allow the Jews into Cuba.
West Africa afraid of diseases.
Kinda funny when you think about it.
Could very well be..................
That was a heck of a cast in that movie!
Ironic that’s for sure
"Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), the primary form in the Americas, has a very high fatality rate, generally cited between 35% and 40%. The disease, spread by rodent droppings and saliva, causes severe respiratory failure.
While the New World virus is more severe (up to 40%), Old World hantaviruses typically have a lower fatality rate of 1% to 15%."
More here...
Worth the read.
Here in the American Southwest the main carrier is the deer mouse and dust containing the virus can be inhaled during cleaning. The mortality rate is 30 to 40 percent even with advanced treatment in US hospitals. Last fall I was suspected of having it with symptoms maybe from mice in my mountain garage. I didn’t but testing showed HV antibodies indicating past exposure.
IIRC those Antarctica cruises cost a fortune.
At least the tent needed to fumigate the ship will not be that large.
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