Cape Verdeans express relief after hantavirus-hit ship departs without docking

By Africanews with AP

The day after a cruise ship at the centre of a deadly hantavirus outbreak departed from off the coast of the West African island nation of Cape Verde, daily life continued as usual for residents in the capital Praia.

The MV Hondius, a Dutch ship on a weekslong polar cruise, departed 1 April from Argentina for Antarctica and several isolated islands in the South Atlantic.

It was supposed to finish its journey in Cape Verde, but after three people died and the outbreak was confirmed, it called for help off the coast and was ultimately not allowed to dock in Praia.

Two patients with hantavirus and one suspected of infection were evacuated from the country Wednesday, and the ship then departed Cape Verde with nearly 150 people on board and headed to Spain’s Canary Islands.

Locals said they were grateful to Cape Verdean authorities for not allowing the passengers to enter the country.

_“I think they did well, because if the boat let people off here, it could be a problem, because of the virus,” s_aid construction worker Edmilsion Semedo on Thursday.

The outbreak was confirmed on the ship on 2 May, but a Dutch man had already died on board on 22 April. His wife disembarked, flew to South Africa, and later died there.

Thirty passengers left the vessel at St. Helena in April, the Netherlands-based cruise ship company Oceanwide Expeditions said, while the Dutch Foreign Ministry put the number at about 40.

Health authorities around the world are now rushing to trace contacts and contain any possible further spread of the disease, which has been confirmed to be the Andes virus, a species of hantavirus which is the only type known to spread from human to human.

_“The government did the right thing, they didn’t let the ship stop in our harbour, because they can bring this virus to all of us. And then we could catch it,” s_aid Manuela Silva, a trader.

The MV Hondius put Cape Verde, rarely in the spotlight and one of the least populated countries in Africa, at the centre of the entire world’s attention.

Tour guide Daniel Debarros said he hoped people curious about the country would be encouraged to visit.

“With Cape Verde, no stress,” he said, referencing a popular local slogan.

“You can enjoy the beautiful weather, the landscapes. Also, the music. It’s very important in our culture. We have also football, like you guys see, we qualified for the first time for the World Cup.”

In October of last year, Cape Verde qualified for the football World Cup for the first time in its history.