Three ill passengers are being evacuated from the cruise ship Hondius, currently off the coast of Cape Verde, and flown to the Netherlands for medical care. One of them is Dutch, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which said the evacuation is being arranged as quickly as possible. The ship has reported multiple cases of Hantavirus among passengers and crew.

The ministry says it is still unclear when and how the evacuation will take place. It is working with the shipping company, in coordination with authorities in Cape Verde, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), healthcare providers, and countries from which passengers on the Hondius originated. “The well-being of those involved is, of course, the top priority,” the ministry said in a statement.

A Dutch couple has died after boarding the ship in Argentina, where they are believed to have been infected. A German crew member also died, while a British passenger is currently receiving treatment in hospital in South Africa.

Relief workers are evacuating two seriously ill patients from the ship for treatment in the Netherlands, the World Health Organization reports. Infectious disease expert Maria Van Kerkhove confirmed the patients are currently stable.

“Two patients remain on board the vessel and are being prepared for medical evacuation to the Netherlands for treatment,” stated Van Kerkhove. She added that a third individual, who had previously shown a mild fever, is now doing well and no longer exhibits any symptoms of the illness.

The WHO says there is a possibility that transmission of Hantavirus occurred between people on board the cruise ship. A WHO expert suggested this could also explain the deaths of the Dutch couple, although this has not been confirmed and is being treated as a working assumption. The ship is currently en route to the Canary Islands, according to the organisation.

The first infection likely occurred outside the ship, with the virus later brought on board, said Maria Van Kerkhove of the WHO. “But we do think there may be some human-to-human transmission among people with very close contact, between a man and a woman, people sharing cabins, and so on,” she said. That is why people caring for patients need to protect themselves properly, Van Kerkhove added.

According to Van Kerkhove, the Spanish government has agreed that the ship may head to the Canary Islands for a “full epidemiological investigation, complete disinfection of the vessel, and of course to assess the risks for the passengers who are actually on board.” Authorities there told public broadcaster RTVE that a decision still needs to be made later today.

Passengers have been told to stay in their cabins, with supplies of food and water reportedly sufficient on board. Work is also underway to disinfect the ship.

The evacuation of the two most critically ill patients is being coordinated in collaboration with Dutch and Cape Verdean authorities, as well as Oceanwide Expeditions, the company behind the vessel, according to the WHO.