‘We’re not just headlines, we’re people,’ says US travel blogger Jake Rosmarin, one of around 150 people stuck on board the MV Hondius, which is at the centre of a suspected hantavirus outbreak
A passenger on board a cruise ship at the centre of a suspected hantavirus outbreak has made an emotional plea, saying: “All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home.”
Three people on board the MV Hondius cruise – including a married Dutch couple and a German national – have died amid a suspected outbreak of the rare rat-borne virus, said the World Health Organization and South Africa’s Department of Health. Three others – including one British passenger, one British crew member and a Dutch crew member – have fallen ill.
The 69-year-old British passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg, while the two crew members have “acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe”, said Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise ship operator.
The Dutch company said hantavirus has been confirmed in the British man’s case, but the cause of death in the three fatalities has not yet been established.
READ MORE: MV Hondius ‘hantavirus outbreak’ live: Brit crew member needs ‘urgent care’
Around 150 people are stuck on board the vessel, which is currently sitting off the coast of Cape Verde, an island nation off Africa’s west coast, as local authorities refuse to allow anyone to disembark.
In a tearful Instagram video post from the ship on Monday, Jake Rosmarin, a US travel blogger from Boston, told his 44,100 followers: “I am currently on board the MV Hondius, and what’s happening right now is very real for all of us here.
“We’re not just a story, we’re not just headlines, we’re people. People with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home.”
Rosmarin continued: “There’s a lot of uncertainty, and that’s the hardest part. All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home.
“So if you’re seeing coverage about this, just remember that there are real people behind it, and that this isn’t something happening somewhere far away. It’s happening to us, right now.” He ended the video by asking for “kindness and understanding”.
In a caption, he added that he was grateful to Oceanwide Expeditions and the crew, who he said had been handling the situation “to the best of their ability”.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius left Argentina around three weeks ago on a cruise that included visits to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and other destinations. It was due to continue across the Atlantic towards Spain’s Canary Islands, according to South Africa’s Department of Health.
Hantavirus is mainly spread through contact with urine, droppings or saliva from infected rodents, particularly when the material is disturbed and becomes airborne, posing a risk of inhalation. It is the same disease that killed Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, in New Mexico in February last year.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hantaviruses causes two serious syndromes: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which affects the lungs, and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which affects the kidneys.
While rare, the WHO says hantavirus infections can, in some cases, spread between people. There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can improve the chance of survival.
“WHO is aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean,” the organisation said. “Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations. Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing.”
