A British crew member is awaiting medical evacuation from a luxury cruise ship off Cape Verde after a suspected hantavirus outbreak. The MV Hondius, carrying around 20 British nationals, has been hit by seven confirmed or suspected cases, with three deaths reported.
The Dutch-flagged vessel is marooned after Cape Verde denied permission to disembark passengers. A British passenger previously evacuated is in intensive care in South Africa. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suspects limited human-to-human transmission may have occurred among close contacts, such as couples sharing cabins.
WHO officials said the risk of broader spread is low, but the Andes virus is suspected. The ship left Ushuaia, Argentina, in March and visited remote islands. No rats were found on board, ruling out the usual rodent-to-human transmission route.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the government is working with international partners to arrange safe onward travel for British nationals, emphasising that the risk to the wider public remains very low.
