Hantavirus Outbreak Near Cape Verde Contained | Portugal Health
Portugal’s Director-General of Health, Rita Sá Machado, reassured the public today that a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship off the coast of Cape Verde is “contained” and currently poses a minimal risk to the country. The outbreak has already claimed three lives and left several others in critical condition.
Monitoring a Contained Threat
Speaking to the Lusa news agency, Sá Machado confirmed that the Directorate-General of Health (DGS) is closely monitoring the situation in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO). According to WHO data, there are at least two confirmed infections and five suspected cases currently aboard the vessel, which remains stationary off the Cape Verdean coast.
“The situation is currently contained and, for that very reason, it poses a low risk to Portugal,” Sá Machado stated. She added that while health officials are considering specific safety protocols for those on the ship, no preventive measures are currently necessary for the Portuguese mainland.
The Source of Infection
While the exact origin of the virus remains under investigation, the WHO suggests the infection likely occurred before the passengers boarded or during an excursion outside the ship. Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with aerosols from the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents.
Sá Machado noted that the passengers had recently engaged in “wildlife observation tourism,” providing a likely window for exposure. Although the incubation period for the virus is usually two to four weeks, she explained that atypical cases can manifest anywhere from one to eight weeks after exposure.
Addressing the possibility of human-to-human transmission—a rare but documented occurrence with certain hantavirus strains—the Director-General remains skeptical. “The fact that the first cases emerged almost all at the same time indicates a common source of infection,” she argued. “If it were spreading between passengers, we would see a different timeline for the symptoms.”
Ship Timeline and Demographics
The ship is carrying 149 people, including 88 passengers of 23 different nationalities. It departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on March 20, traveling a route intended for the Canary Islands with various stops in the South Atlantic.
Reports of illness emerged between April 6 and 28. Patients initially presented with fever and gastrointestinal distress, which rapidly progressed to severe pneumonia, acute respiratory syndrome, and shock. Among the confirmed cases is one passenger currently in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa, after being medically evacuated.
Regarding the presence of Portuguese citizens on board, Sá Machado confirmed there is one Portuguese national on the ship, though the individual does not reside in Portugal.
The WHO continues to assess the risk to the general global population as low but will remain on high alert as the epidemiological investigation continues.
Image: Pexels – Blair Damson
