A British crew member requiring urgent medical care is awaiting evacuation from a luxury cruise ship hit by a suspected hantavirus outbreak, authorities have confirmed.
Evacuation Plans Underway
The crew member will be airlifted from the MV Hondius alongside a Dutch colleague after experiencing acute respiratory symptoms. The Dutch-flagged vessel, carrying around 20 British nationals, has been affected by seven confirmed or suspected hantavirus cases. Three people have died, and a British passenger was previously evacuated and is now in intensive care in South Africa.
Ship Stranded Off Cape Verde
The cruise ship remains stranded off Cape Verde, an Atlantic island nation near West Africa, which has refused permission for passengers to disembark. Health authorities have warned that the outbreak may be spreading through close human contact onboard.
WHO Raises Concerns Over Human-to-Human Transmission
The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that while human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is rare, it is suspected to have occurred on the MV Hondius. Three additional suspected cases involve people still on board, one with mild fever. WHO officials said the global risk is low but acknowledged potential transmission among close contacts such as couples sharing cabins.
Timeline of the Outbreak
The first victim, a Dutch man, died on April 11. His body remained on board until April 24, when it was disembarked on St Helena, with his wife accompanying repatriation. She had gastrointestinal symptoms and later died upon arrival at a Johannesburg emergency department on April 26. Contact tracing is underway for passengers on that flight.
Virus Origin and Testing
The WHO's working assumption is that the virus is the Andes hantavirus, which originates in South America, particularly Argentina. The Hondius departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina in March. Authorities have confirmed there are no rats on board; hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings.
Stranded Passengers and Government Response
Around 150 people remain on the Hondius, including passengers from Britain, the United States, and Spain. The cruise visited Antarctica, South Georgia, and Tristan da Cunha before the outbreak. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that the government is putting plans in place for the safe onward travel of British nationals, emphasising that the risk to the wider public remains very low.
