The World Health Organisation has reported encouraging news regarding two British nationals who were medically evacuated from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak. The individuals, who were taken off the MV Hondius, are showing signs of improvement.
Details of the Evacuations
A British passenger, believed to be a 69-year-old man, was transported to South Africa on April 27 and is currently receiving care at a private health facility in Sandton, Johannesburg. Another Briton, Martin Anstee, aged 56, was removed from the ship on Wednesday and flown to the Netherlands for specialist medical treatment.
Current Condition of Patients
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove from the WHO confirmed that two patients, including one Briton, remain hospitalised in the Netherlands, while another Briton is in intensive care in South Africa. During a WHO press briefing, she stated: “I am very happy to say the patient in South Africa is doing better, and the two patients in the Netherlands we hear are stable. So that is actually very good news.”
Morale and Medical Response Onboard
The WHO noted that morale has improved on the MV Hondius since the ship began its journey to Tenerife. Two doctors are currently onboard, alongside infectious disease experts from the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. These specialists are conducting a comprehensive medical assessment of everyone on the ship.
While the risk to the general public remains low, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that additional cases could emerge due to the incubation period of the Andes virus, the hantavirus variant linked to the outbreak. “Given the incubation period of the Andes virus, which can be up to six weeks, it’s possible that more cases may be reported,” he said. “While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low.”
Dr Tedros also expressed gratitude to the ship’s operator for their cooperation and acknowledged the difficult situation faced by passengers and crew. “I’ve been in touch with the ship’s captain regularly, including this morning. He told me morale has improved significantly since the ship started moving again,” he added.
