Keir Starmer said he was ‘putting plans in place’ for the ‘safe onward travel’ of over 20 British nationals on board the MV Hondius cruise liner, where a hantavirus outbreak has left three dead
Plans are being drawn up to rescue British tourists stuck on a cruise ship linked to deadly hantavirus outbreak, the Prime Minister has said.
Over 20 British nationals are currently stranded on the MV Hondius in the Atlantic, where an outbreak of the rat-borne virus has left three people dead and at least five more seriously ill. One British citizen remains in a critical but stable condition in a South African hospital, and another, reported to be the ship’s doctor, awaited evacuation last night.
The Dutch-flagged ship, which was on a round-the-world trip from Argentina, is set to dock in the Canary Islands, Spanish authorities confirmed last night. However, the islands’ leader has now said: “I cannot allow it to enter the Canary Islands.”
READ MORE: MV Hondius passenger kept on ship for 13 days after first deathREAD MORE: Hantavirus outbreak live: Canary Islands rejects virus-hit MV Hondius cruise
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Prime Minister 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.”
While hantavirus is often caught from rat urine, droppings or saliva, experts have suggested that there could be a “mixture” of transmission, including close contact between passengers in cabins. There is no specific treatment or cure for the virus, but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive medical attention early.
Passengers on board the ship are confined to their cabins while “disinfection and other public health measures are carried out”, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, from the WHO, said: “As of today, seven individuals of the 147 passengers and crew have been reported ill, sadly, three have died.
“One patient is in intensive care in South Africa, although we understand that this patient is improving while two patients are still on board the ship and are being prepared for medical evacuation to the Netherlands for treatment.”
Medical teams from Cape Verde have provided support to the ship and have taken personal protective equipment (PPE) on board while health authorities investigate the source of the outbreak. The British passenger struck down by hantavirus is “understood to be improving” after being medically evacuated on April 27 to Johannesburg, and remains in intensive care.
A Dutch passenger died on board the ship on April 11. On April 27, the wife of the passenger died, and authorities confirmed a variant of hantavirus. On May 2, a German passenger on board died, though the cause has not yet been confirmed.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are closely monitoring reports of a potential hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship Hondius and stand ready to support British nationals if needed. We are in touch with the cruise company and local authorities.”
