Live Cruise ship begins evacuating its first passengers after virus outbreak World

An unfolding health emergency aboard a cruise ship off Cape Verde has drawn international concern, with two Irish passengers among 149 people on board after a case of hantavirus was confirmed. Oceanwide Expeditions, the vessel’s operator, said the MV Hondius is carrying 149 people from 23 nationalities and remains in what it described as “a serious medical situation”. The company said strict precautions are being enforced on board, including isolation procedures, hygiene measures and ongoing medical monitoring. A…

A deadly illness has struck a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic, leaving three people dead and prompting an international public health response after one passenger was confirmed to have hantavirus, a disease most often passed to humans by rodents. The cases emerged aboard the MV Hondius during a voyage from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde, off Africa’s west coast. "To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases," the World Health Organization (WHO)…

The government declared a polio outbreak Friday after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the virus in sewage samples taken in Blantyre, the Health and Sanitation Ministry said, marking what officials described as a second wave of the disease in recent years. Health authorities said the detection followed World Health Organization guidelines and prompted immediate activation of emergency response systems, intensified disease surveillance and planning for nationwide vaccination campaigns. The ministry warned the virus…

Monday December 1, 2025 Mogadishu — Somalia’s Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the spread of the Marburg virus after Ethiopia confirmed cases in the Jinka area, the ministry said Sunday, as authorities activated urgent preparedness measures despite no recorded infections inside Somalia. Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Mohamed Hassan Mohamed said the country’s National Institute of Health has moved to a heightened state of readiness and is coordinating with international partners to guard against cross-border…

Rwandan health officials are deeply engaged in a massive contact tracing initiative, tracking down countless individuals to curtail the spread of a particularly alarming disease across the nation and beyond. Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana remarked, “We’re confronting the challenge of viral hemorrhagic fever while simultaneously addressing mpox.” This dual health scare gives rise to a pressing need for swift action. During a recent online briefing, Nsanzimana reiterated their commitment to halting the virus's advance. “We…

The World Health Organization declared a global emergency after mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa on Wednesday. Earlier this week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency, with more than 500 deaths, and called for international help to stop the spread of the virus. "This is something that should concern us all ... The potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying," said WHO Director-General…

From Labé in Guinea to Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire, the patient with the Ebola virus disease traveled 1,500 km in several public transport vehicles. However, the details of the trip still differ depending on the sources. ClaireFages, with our special correspondent in Abidjan,Jean-Luc AploganAugust 8: departure from LabéThe young…

China said on Thursday that a proposal by the World Health Organization (WHO) to examine Chinese laboratories as part of the ongoing investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic showed "disrespect" and "arrogance towards science". Last week, the UN health agency said a second phase of the international probe should…