The Future Ai

This undated photo provided by Oceanwide Expeditions shows the m/v Hondius, a Polar Class 6 passenger vessel, at sea. (Oceanwide Expeditions via AP)

A cruise ship carrying nearly 150 people has been drifting in the Atlantic for days after a suspected hantavirus outbreak killed three passengers and left several others seriously ill. The MV Hondius, a Dutch vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, had been on a weeks-long polar voyage from Argentina to Antarctica and remote South Atlantic islands when the outbreak began.The ship is now anchored off Cape Verde, the island nation off the west coast of Africa, after local authorities refused to let passengers disembark over public health fears. According to footage obtained by the Associated Press, the ship’s decks were largely empty. Passengers were confined to their cabins, common areas sat deserted and at least five people in full protective gear including white overalls, boots and face masks were spotted leaving the vessel on a small boat.Cape Verde sent a team of doctors, surgeons, nurses and laboratory specialists to the ship to provide medical support. The country’s National Director of Health, Angela Gomes, told state radio that every precaution was being taken to protect the local population.The World Health Organization confirmed passengers were told to remain in their cabins while disinfection measures were being carried out. As of late Monday, the WHO said no new cases had been reported on board but stressed the situation was being “carefully monitored.”The ship set sail from Ushuaia in southern Argentina on April 1st. Argentine health officials cleared all passengers before departure but noted that hantavirus symptoms can take up to eight weeks to appear after exposure, a detail that complicates tracing exactly when or where the virus was picked up.WHO director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness Dr Maria Van Kerkhove told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that the plan was for the Hondius to continue to the Canary Islands. Spanish authorities said they were in close contact with the WHO but had not yet confirmed the ship’s arrival. The Spanish health ministry said the decision on port of call would be taken in coordination with international health bodies.Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement that the mood on board remained calm and that response protocols were operating at their highest level, covering isolation measures, hygiene controls and continuous medical monitoring.Hantavirus is a rare rodent-borne illness. Person-to-person transmission is possible but uncommon according to the WHO. The fact that multiple passengers appear to have contracted it on a single vessel has raised questions about the source of the infection and how quickly it spread in a confined space at sea.