Oceanwide Expeditions has provided an update on the ongoing medical situation onboard the Hondius, which remains off the coast of Cape Verde, according to a May 5 press update.

The World Health Organization confirmed on May 4 that seven cases, including two laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases and five suspected cases, have been identified.

Three passengers have died, one is critically ill and three individuals are reporting mild symptoms.

Two crew members onboard continue to require urgent medical care with acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe.

These crew members are of British and Dutch nationality.

No new symptomatic individuals onboard have been identified beyond those previously reported.

Oceanwide confirmed via the WHO that a variant of hantavirus has been identified in the female Dutch national who passed away on April 27 after disembarking in Saint Helena.

This brings the total number of confirmed hantavirus cases to two.

The vessel departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 and followed an itinerary across the South Atlantic with stops including Antarctica, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena and Ascension Island.

The vessel carries 88 passengers and 59 crew members representing 23 nationalities.

Dutch authorities are preparing a medical evacuation of the two symptomatic crew members along with the individual associated with the guest who passed away on May 2.

This will involve two specialized aircraft equipped with medical equipment and staffed by trained medical crews. An accurate timeline of this operation is currently unknown.

Guests will not be disembarking in Cape Verde, except for the three individuals planned to be medically evacuated.

A definitive disembarkation point for the remaining guests has not been finalized. Sailing to Las Palmas or Tenerife is being considered.