People on the MV Hondius have been forced to stay on board as it sits off the coast of West Africa – a travel operator revealed the body of the first victim was on the vessel for nearly two weeks
Passengers on board a cruise ship amid an outbreak where seven suspected Hantavirus cases have been recorded were forced to stay on the vessel 13 days after the first death.
Authorities have rushed to contain the suspected rare, rodent-borne illness that could have spread. Hantavirus is a rare disease that carried by rodents but is occasionally spread to humans, often through contact with urine, faeces, or saliva of infected rodents. Around 150 people on the MV Hondius cruise ship have been ordered to stay put as the vessel floats in West African waters.
The World Health Organisation revealed the number of cases has risen to seven, on Monday, as three passengers on the luxury Dutch liner have died.
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The cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, shared a timeline of events in the incident and revealed the body of the first person who died remained on the cruise ship for 13 days.
A Dutch male, 70, suffered with a fever, headache, and mild diarrhoea, on April 6, but later developed respiratory distress and died on April 11.
His body remained on the boat, which had set sail from Argentina, until April 24 when it was disembarked on the remote island of St Helena. The man’s wife, 69, also left the cruise at that point, but she had reported gastrointestinal symptoms while on the vessel.
The woman’s condition deteriorated during a flight to Johannesburg and she died at an emergency department on April 26. A third passenger, a 69-year-old British man, became seriously ill on the cruise and was medically evacuated to South Africa where he remains in a critical condition.
The man had presented to the onboard doctors and complained about shortness of breath and signs of pneumonia – the operator confirmed this patient tested positive for a variant of Hantavirus.
A fourth person, a female adult, faced symptoms of pneumonia and died on May 2 but her cause of death has not been established. Oceanwide Expeditions said the exact cause of the deaths and cases is being investigated, along with any possible connections between them.
While around 150 passengers and crew members remain on the vessel the operator said: “Strict precautionary measures are in process on board, including isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring. All passengers have been informed and are being supported.”
It added: “Oceanwide Expeditions is in close contact with those directly involved and their families, and is providing support where possible.” The operator confirmed 19 passengers and 4 crew members on the MV Hondius were British nationals.
