Three patients suspected of having the hantavirus were evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship and are being transported to the Netherlands for medical treatment, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The patients include a British crew member, a German, and a Dutch national. This rare virus outbreak has already resulted in three deaths. The ship, carrying about 150 passengers, was initially set to dock in the Canary Islands for a thorough investigation, but the regional government leader, Fernando Clavijo, opposed the plan, citing a lack of communication with local authorities. Meanwhile, South African authorities confirmed the presence of the Andes strain of the hantavirus, which can spread between humans, in two former passengers. A Swiss man who traveled on the ship also tested positive. The total number of confirmed cases has reached eight. Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator, has dispatched infectious disease specialists to the vessel, which remains anchored off Cape Verde.
QUESTION: How might the spread of a virus like the hantavirus on a cruise ship impact global travel and tourism industries?
3 evacuated from hantavirus cruise ship as Canary Islands rejects it
