Health workers in Cape Verde assisted patients onto a boat from the MV Hondius cruise ship on 6 May 2026, as the vessel faced a hantavirus outbreak. Twenty British nationals from the ship continue to receive practical and emotional support while isolating at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, UK.
Evacuation and Hospitalization
Along with the 20 Britons, a German resident of the UK and a Japanese passenger were taken to the hospital on Sunday after the MV Hondius docked in Tenerife. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that three passengers who boarded the ship have died, and eight people no longer on the vessel have fallen ill, with six confirmed cases of hantavirus. The WHO aimed to complete the ship's evacuation, except for 30 crew members, by 7pm on Monday, 11 May.
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