JAKARTA - The Spanish Ministry of Health stated that it would receive the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Canary Islands after a case of hantavirus outbreak was reported on board.
"The World Health Organization (WHO), in cooperation with the European Union, has asked the Spanish government to accept the MV Hondius ship in the Canary Islands," the ministry's official statement said on Wednesday, as reported by Sputnik, Wednesday, May 6.
The WHO confirmed seven cases of infection on the ship, including three deaths. A patient is being treated in intensive care in South Africa.
Hantavirus is a group of viruses that can cause serious illness in humans, including dengue fever with renal syndrome and pulmonary hantavirus syndrome. The ship affected by the outbreak is currently anchored off the coast of Cape Verde.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is conducting a thorough assessment to determine who needs to be immediately evacuated directly from the islands.
Meanwhile, the other passengers and crew will continue their journey to the Canary Islands, with an estimated arrival in three to four days. The destination port has not been determined.
Upon arrival there, they will be examined, given medical assistance, and then repatriated to their respective countries. Care and transportation will be carried out with special facilities and vehicles to prevent contact with local residents and maintain the safety of medical personnel.
The Spanish government also received an official request from the Netherlands to evacuate a doctor from the MV Hondius who is in a serious condition.
He was scheduled to be flown to the Canary Islands on Wednesday, as Cape Verde has no capacity for such medical operations, while the Canary is the closest location to adequate facilities.
However, the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, expressed his disagreement with the central government's decision to send the ship to his territory, citing a lack of coordination and information.
"I completely disagree with this change of approach. There is no medical or epidemiological information that indicates that this ship should sail three days to the Canary, instead of being operated at the location of the ship's berth," he told Spanish radio Onda Cero.
Clavijo said the local government was not given information about the number of cases on board, the medical condition of the patients, or the source of the alleged outbreak. Another option that was discussed was evacuating the patients to the Netherlands by a medical plane, while the Dutch-flagged ship continued its journey to its home country.
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