A British crew member requires urgent medical care and a passenger from the UK remains in a critical but stable condition following a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Three people have died and two cases of the virus have been confirmed, tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.
The crew member is the second British person under medical care following the outbreak, with a British passenger on the ship receiving treatment in South Africa.
There is also a newly confirmed case in a Dutch woman who died on April 27 after disembarking.
The company said in a statement on Monday that the British staff member, and another Dutch member of the crew, were continuing to show “acute respiratory symptoms.”
It said one had mild symptoms and one severe, although it’s not clear which has which.
How did the outbreak begin?
The suspected outbreak was reported on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde.
Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed the British tourist remains in a “critical but stable” condition after being medically evacuated to South Africa on April 27, where they are being treated in an intensive care unit in Johannesburg.
The ship’s journey began on April 1, and a Dutch passenger died on board on April 11, Oceanwide Expeditions said. The passenger’s wife died two weeks later after testing positive to a variant of hentavirus.
The other death was a German passenger, who died on board on May 2. The cause has not yet been established.
The company added that guests will not be disembarking in Cape Verde, except for three who will be medically evacuated.
The ship may instead continue to Las Palmas or Tenerife, but no final disembarkation point has been finalised.
Hantavirus infections are usually spread by infected rodents’ urine or faeces.
What is the official reaction in the UK?
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.”
The risk to the wider public remains low, according to Hans Henri P Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe.
With PA
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