The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has communicated that three passengers suspected of hantavirus have already been evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius and are en route to the Netherlands, where they are expected to receive the necessary healthcare.
Just as Tedros explained on the social network 'X', this evacuation and transfer operation has been carried out with the coordinated participation of the WHO, the ship's owner company, and the national authorities of Cape Verde, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands.
In this context, the WHO maintains its collaboration with the cruise managers to closely monitor the health status of both passengers and crew members, "collaborating with countries to support adequate medical follow-up and evacuation when necessary," the head of the organization has stated.
In addition, Tedros has indicated that the monitoring and tracking system has been launched for people who remain on board and also for those who have already left the ship, in coordination with the operators of the MV Hondius and the health authorities of the different countries involved.
Finally, the Director-General of the WHO has insisted that, despite the situation, the risk level for public health "remains low".