The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that two of the three people who died aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean were Dutch nationals.
According to a spokesperson for the ministry, one Dutch citizen fell ill aboard the ship and passed away in mid-April during a journey from Argentina to Cape Verde, while the second Dutch national, also unwell, was transferred to South Africa and later died.
The ministry has not corroborated foreign media reports suggesting the victims were a couple affected by hantavirus, a disease potentially linked to the third fatality.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that six people in total fell ill on the ship. One of them, a 69-year-old British national, is currently in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The vessel, the MV Hondius, was traveling between Argentina and Cape Verde when the incidents occurred. Operated by Dutch travel agency Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship is typically used for trips to the Arctic and Antarctica.
The Hondius is currently docked in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, and may proceed to the Canary Islands in Spain. It has a capacity for 170 passengers, along with approximately 70 crew members and guides. The WHO is in discussions regarding the evacuation of two individuals who remain ill.
Hantavirus, transmitted by rodents, can cause severe respiratory problems, fever, bleeding, and kidney dysfunction in infected individuals. While person-to-person transmission is possible, the WHO highlights that such cases are rare.
