The luxury cruise ship MV Hondius remains stranded in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Verde following a deadly outbreak of Hantavirus. Local health authorities have officially barred the vessel from docking after three passengers succumbed to the fatal respiratory illness.
The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is now functioning as a floating quarantine zone as medical teams struggle to contain the spread of the pathogen. Officials confirmed that the virus, typically transmitted through contact with infected rodent droppings, has created a dire situation for those on board.
Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva maintains that allowing the sick to disembark poses an unacceptable risk to the local population's health. Despite international pressure, the government has reinforced its position to ensure the vessel remains at a distance from the port of Praia.
Inside the ship, passengers have described a deteriorating environment where fear and illness are rapidly spreading through the cabins. Many have taken to social media to share emotional pleas for help, documenting the lack of fresh air and the presence of sanitation teams.
Medical supplies on the vessel are reportedly reaching critical lows, leaving the onboard infirmary unable to treat new cases effectively. Doctors on the ship warned that without immediate intervention, the death toll is likely to rise among the symptomatic passengers.
Families of those trapped on the vessel are calling on international maritime organizations to broker an emergency evacuation plan. They argue that the current policy of isolation is a death sentence for those who have not yet been exposed to the pathogen.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is known for its high mortality rate and the speed at which it causes severe respiratory failure. Epidemiologists are currently investigating how the rodents managed to infest the luxury liner's ventilation systems during its voyage from Argentina.
President José Maria Neves has been in consultations with the World Health Organization to determine if a medical evacuation can be safely executed. For now, the passengers remain trapped between a hostile virus and a world that is hesitant to let them come home.