Cape Verdean authorities began evacuating passengers and crew members from a cruise vessel anchored off the archipelago on Wednesday after laboratory results confirmed at least several cases of hantavirus infection among those on board. The ship, which had been held under quarantine since the weekend, was carrying approximately 150 people who had been unable to disembark as health officials scrambled to assess the scope of the outbreak.

The Cape Verde Ministry of Health, working in coordination with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and Portuguese health authorities, deployed medical teams to assess and triage passengers before transferring them to onshore isolation facilities. Those showing respiratory symptoms were prioritised for evacuation, while close contacts of confirmed cases were moved to a separate holding area on the island of Santiago.

Hantavirus, typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, is rarely seen in maritime settings, prompting concern among epidemiologists about the origin of the outbreak. Investigators were examining whether the vessel had made a port call in a region with known rodent activity before the first passengers fell ill roughly a week ago. The World Health Organization said it was monitoring the situation closely and had offered technical support to Cape Verdean authorities.

Several passengers, primarily European tourists, described scenes of anxiety aboard the anchored ship, with limited access to fresh food and medical attention. The Cape Verdean government confirmed that no fatalities had been recorded as of Wednesday morning, though at least two individuals remained in serious condition at a hospital in Praia. European embassies, including those of Germany and the Netherlands, were in contact with their respective nationals on board.

The incident has renewed scrutiny of health screening protocols on cruise vessels operating in remote Atlantic waters. Industry regulators at the International Maritime Organization were expected to request a full incident report, and some maritime analysts suggested the outbreak could prompt stricter rodent-control inspections across vessels calling at West African and Atlantic island ports.