Cape Verde prepares to help virus-hit cruise ship, Canary Islands oppose docking

The MV Hondius cruise ship remains at the center of a worsening public-health and diplomatic dispute after the World Health Organization said the hantavirus cluster linked to the vessel has risen to eight cases, including three deaths.

WHO’s latest reporting confirms one additional case beyond its May 4 outbreak notice, which had listed seven cases in total. The agency says the global public risk remains low while investigations continue.

At the same time, Cape Verde health authorities have prepared an isolation area and assembled a multidisciplinary medical team to assist the ship if needed, according to reporting from Africanews and AP.

That response comes as the Canary Islands openly push back against plans for the ship to dock there. Regional leaders have said they oppose accepting the vessel, even as Spain’s central government has indicated Tenerife could be the destination.

Reuters and other reporting say the ship is expected to continue toward Spain, but the exact port remains unresolved. The dispute has turned the outbreak response into a test of coordination between national and regional authorities.

WHO says the cluster includes three deaths, one critically ill patient and several passengers with mild symptoms. Earlier reporting also said medical evacuations were already underway.

The latest developments suggest the ship’s immediate future may depend on whether authorities can agree on a safe place to dock and transfer passengers for treatment and repatriation.