A British crew member on a luxury cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean is set to be medically evacuated following a suspected hantavirus outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that there might have been an unusual case of human-to-human transmission of this deadly virus on the ship.
Preparations are underway for the medical evacuation of the British crew member and a Dutch colleague from the MV Hondius. The operation will be conducted under the supervision of Dutch authorities.
The two crew members, who have shown respiratory symptoms requiring urgent medical attention, are to be transported to the Netherlands via Cape Verde, as reported by the tour operator, Oceanwide Expeditions. This will enable the ship to continue its journey towards Spain’s Canary Islands.
Upon arrival in the Canary Islands, the Spanish health ministry will coordinate with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the WHO to assess and treat all crew and passengers. Plans are in place for their repatriation to their respective home countries once evaluations are complete.
The Spanish health ministry announced on Tuesday evening that the MV Hondius is expected to dock in the Canary Islands within three to four days. This decision follows WHO’s assessment that Cape Verde lacks the resources to handle the situation appropriately.
Typically, hantavirus infections occur through contact with infected rodents or their bodily excretions. However, the WHO has raised concerns about potential human-to-human transmission among close contacts aboard the Hondius, a rare occurrence for this virus.
“We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that’s happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who have shared cabins,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the WHO, told reporters in Geneva.
Van Kerkhove also sent a direct message to people on board. “We just want you to know we are working with the ship’s operators,” she said. “We are working with the countries where you are from. We hear you, we know that you are scared.”
Health authorities say about 150 people from 23 countries are on board the ship.
A limited spread among close contacts has been observed in some previous outbreaks of the Andes strain, which spreads in South America, including Argentina, and which the WHO believes could be involved in this instance. Testing is under way.
The Hondius left Ushuaia in southern Argentina in March. The WHO said it had been told there were no rats on board.
A British passenger with symptoms of hantavirus is understood to be improving. The passenger was medically evacuated on 27 April to Johannesburg, and remains in intensive care.
The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, said the government was putting “plans in place” for the onward travel of Britons stuck on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship.
In a post on X, Starmer said: “My thoughts are with those affected by the hantavirus outbreak onboard the MV Hondius. We are working closely with international partners to support British nationals onboard and we’re putting plans in place for their safe onward travel.”
A total of seven suspected cases have been identified, including three people who have died. Two of the cases have been confirmed as hantavirus.
Van Kerkhove said on Tuesday: “As of today, seven individuals of the 147 passengers and crew have been reported ill. Sadly, three have died.
Another suspected case has been reported, but this person was “currently doing well and is asymptomatic”, Van Kerkhove added.
“At this stage, there are no additional symptomatic people onboard,” she said.
“That said, the situation is being closely monitored and, as a precaution, passengers have been asked to remain in their cabins while disinfection and other public health measures are carried out.”
There are 19 British nationals listed as passengers and four British crew members on the ship, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde – an archipelago in the central Atlantic Ocean off the coast of west Africa.
A UK government spokesperson said: “FCDO consular teams have been stood up across the UK, South Africa, Spain and Portugal to support British nationals and we are working around the clock with our international partners, including the cruise ship operator.
“FCDO teams are also in contact with the family of a British man who was a passenger on the ship and is now in hospital in South Africa.”
Medical teams from Cape Verde were providing support to the ship on Tuesday.
A Dutch passenger died onboard the ship on 11 April. His wife died on 27 April, with authorities later confirming she had tested positive for a variant of hantavirus. On 2 May, a German passenger died, although the cause has not yet been confirmed.
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Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement that the atmosphere on the ship “remains calm, with passengers generally composed”.
The company added that it was “working to provide clarity and reassurance to guests and expedite their disembarkation and medical screening”.
Hantavirus infections, which are usually spread by infected rodents’ urine or faeces, can lead to severe respiratory illness and can sometimes be fatal. While rare, infections can spread between people, according to the WHO.
There is no specific treatment or cure, but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive medical attention early.
With Reuters
