Hantavirus outbreak on Hondius sparks lockdown off Cape Verde; three dead, WHO says
Three people have died and four are sick aboard the Dutch expedition ship Hondius, currently under lockdown off Cape Verde with about 150 passengers and 61 crew. Authorities are coordinating medical evacuations as two crew members show respiratory symptoms; a British passenger is in ICU in Johannesburg and a Dutch woman died after disembarking with her husband, who also fell ill. The WHO says the global health risk is low and no travel restrictions are needed; disembarkation and repatriation plans are being considered, potentially via the Canary Islands. Hantaviruses are usually rodent-borne with limited human-to-human transmission.
