Three people have already died, according to the tour operator
A British crew member on a cruise ship needs urgent care after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. A UK passenger is also in a critical but stable condition, following the deaths of three others, according to tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions.
The Brit is being treated in South Africa, with the most recent death being a Dutch woman who passed away last Monday (April 27). The suspected outbreak was reported on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde.
The ship’s journey began on April 1, with a passenger dying on board on April 11. The cause of death could not be determined on the ship.
Then on April 24, this passenger was disembarked on St Helena, a British Overseas Territory, accompanied by his wife, who fell ill on the return journey and died.
She was confirmed to have tested positive for a variant of hantavirus. They were both Dutch nationals. On May 2, a German passenger on board died. The cause has not yet been established, the tour operator confirmed.
Hantavirus infections, normally carried by rodents, can lead to severe respiratory illness and can be fatal. They cause a range of diseases in humans ranging from mild, flu-like illness to severe respiratory illness or haemorrhagic disease, Public Health England said.
The group of viruses cause two serious infections: haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).
The suspected outbreak was reported on the Dutch-flagged passenger cruise ship MV Hondius, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “This is a deeply worrying time for all those on board the MV Hondius and the families of those affected by the hantavirus outbreak.
“FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) 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.”
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