Stories from Cape Verde · Cape Verde

Health officials are working under the assumption that the virus on a Dutch cruise liner is the Andes strain of Hantavirus. Three individuals aboard a ship have been identified with Hantavirus and are scheduled for medical evacuation to the Netherlands within hours. The Chinese Embassy in Cape Verde stated that no Chinese citizens are on board the affected vessel. Two cases of Hantavirus have been laboratory-confirmed on the Red Sea 4 cruise ship, with five additional suspected cases. Three infected individuals from the ship 'Red Number 2' are expected to be medically evacuated to the Netherlands within hours. The cruise ship 'Red Star 4' is under quarantine due to confirmed cases of Hantavirus infection among passengers. The ship is currently anchored near Fort Cap following the death of a 70-year-old Dutch man in mid-April.

Medical teams wearing full protection suits have visited the vessel known as the Red Death ship. Authorities have refused permission for the ship to dock to protect the local population. A plane is reportedly en route to evacuate three people from the ship to Europe. The remaining passengers will likely sail to the Canary Islands following the evacuation. Medical teams and international cooperation are needed to manage a potential hantavirus outbreak on a vessel that boarded in early April. The process requires laboratory, symptomatic, and clinical testing of all individuals to ensure they are infection-free before docking at a harbor. The source noted that docking at a harbor would facilitate the process even if passengers do not disembark.