British doctor airlifted from hantavirus-hit cruise ship as cases rise onboard
Three patients, including a British doctor, were flown from the cruise ship with hantavirus to receive specialist medical care on Wednesday.
A total of eight suspected cases of the deadly disease have now been linked to MV Hondius, and five of these cases have now been confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
There have been three deaths among passengers on the luxury cruise ship, which is currently off the coast of Cape Verde, waiting to depart for Spain’s Canary Islands.
Although the cause of the outbreak has not been confirmed, two Argentine officials investigating its origins said the government’s leading hypothesis was that a Dutch couple contracted the virus during a birdwatching tour in Ushuaia, Argentina.
They said the couple visited a landfill during the trip, where they may have been exposed to infected rodents.
Health authorities have argued that the global health risk is low. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s chief epidemiologist, said: “This is not the next Covid but it is a serious infectious disease,” adding: “Most people will never be exposed to it.”
Two of the people evacuated Wednesday were crew members, including the ship’s 56-year-old British doctor, who officials said was no longer in critical condition.
A 41-year-old Dutch citizen and a 65-year-old German citizen were also evacuated and will be transferred to specialist hospitals in Europe.
The cruise ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said two of those patients were ill, while the third had no symptoms but was “closely related” to a German passenger who died last Saturday.
Two other travelers tested positive for the Andean strain, which is known to be rare but contagious among humans in South Africa, the country’s health ministry said.
WHO said it was not informed of any changes in the Andean strain of hantavirus found on a cruise ship that would make it more contagious.
Authorities also said a Swiss citizen on board was being treated at a hospital in Zurich.
The remaining 150 passengers on the ship are being kept in isolation in their cabins and are expected to arrive in Spain’s Canary Islands in the coming days.
The operator said on Wednesday: “At this stage the planned onward destination for m/v Hondius is the Canary Islands.
“Oceanwide Expeditions remains in close and ongoing discussion with relevant authorities regarding the exact destination, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and a definitive timeline.”
However, the islands’ leader, Fernando Clavijo, opposed the ship’s docking in the archipelago, saying there was “not enough information” to guarantee public safety.
Spanish health minister Mónica García said the ship’s arrival “will not pose any risk to the public” and confirmed it would dock at a secondary port in Tenerife. He added that about 140 passengers would later be sent back to their home countries.
The UK Foreign Office said it was “working urgently” to return British passengers home.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The Hantavirus outbreak is very serious and extremely stressful for those affected and their families.
“The Foreign Office is working urgently to support UKHSA’s work abroad and to ensure that British nationals on the MV Hondius return home safely with appropriate public health protection.”
The cruise ship left Argentina on April 1 for a cruise that was expected to stop in Antarctica and the Falkland Islands, among other places.
Those on board said they were in good spirits while waiting to disembark.
One of the passengers, Qasem Elhato, 31, said: “Our days were close to normal, we were waiting for the authorities to find a solution.
“But morale is high on the ship and we keep ourselves busy reading books, watching movies, drinking hot drinks and so on.”
Symptoms of hantavirus, which is usually spread by inhaling contaminated rodent feces, include muscle aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or shortness of breath.
