Getty ImagesThree people have died due to a suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
The major incident was reported on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, which was travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde.
The vessel was carrying around 150 tourists from various countries and left Ushuaia, Southern Argentina, around three weeks ago.
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A 70-year-old male started to show signs of hantavirus while on board and died after arriving in St Helena Island.
His 69-year-old wife also became ill and later died in a South African hospital.
Two other cases of the virus have been confirmed, tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.
A British passenger, described as in a critical but stable condition, has been confirmed to have the virus and is being treated in South Africa.
Three people with suspected hantavirus, including a British crew member, have been medically evacuated from the cruise ship linked, the World Health Organisation has confirmed.
The evacuation means the ship can now continue on its three-day journey to the Canary Islands after Spanish authorities gave permission for the boat to dock.
It has been anchored off Cape Verde while arrangements are being made to evacuate the crew members.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, posted on X: “Monitoring and follow-up for passengers on board and for those who have already disembarked has been initiated in collaboration with the ship’s operators and national health authorities.
“At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low.”
There were 19 British nationals listed as passengers on the ship, along with four British crew members.
What is hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are mainly spread by rodents, particularly through exposure to infected rodents’ urine or faeces.
But, while rare, it may spread between people and can lead to “severe respiratory illness”.
Symptoms usually appear between one and four weeks after being exposed to the virus, and include fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or shortness of breath.
There is no specific treatment or cure, but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive medical attention early.
Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, said that the Andes virus, which has been identified as the variant behind the outbreak, is “known very rarely to spread between people with close contact”.
“It means it is very easy to isolate people who are unwell and to follow quarantine and so on to avoid spread to other people,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
UK Government’s response to outbreak
On Tuesday, Keir Starmer said the UK was putting “plans in place” for the onward travel of Britons stuck aboard the ship.
In a post on X, Sir Keir Starmer said: “My thoughts are with those affected by the hantavirus outbreak onboard the MV Hondius.
“We are working closely with international partners to support British nationals on board, and we’re putting plans in place for their safe onward travel.
“The risk to the wider public remains very low – protecting the British people is our number one priority.”
The Foreign Office has confirmed that it has been directly in touch with all British passengers on board the ship, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde.
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