The MV Hondius cruise ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, has been anchored near Cape Verde after a hantavirus outbreak was detected on board, resulting in the deaths of three passengers, including a Dutch couple and a German passenger. The ship has 149 people on board, including two Indian crew members, whose identities, roles, and health conditions have not been disclosed.

The outbreak has prompted a medical emergency, with one critically ill patient evacuated for urgent treatment and several others under medical observation. The ship's operator and Dutch officials have reported that over two dozen people from at least 12 different countries left the ship without contact tracing on April 24.

According to the World Health Organisation, the risk to the wider public is low, as hantavirus is usually spread by the inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people.

The immediate outlook is that health authorities will continue to track and monitor passengers who disembarked the ship before the outbreak was detected, with the WHO's alert and response director, Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, stating that the public health measures implemented will help contain the outbreak.