The cruise ship MV Hondius is currently off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde (Image: Getty)
As passengers aboard a cruise ship where three people have died following several cases of a potentially deadly viral infection remain in limbo, one doctor has revealed why the outbreak is so serious. Three people have died aboard the Dutch vessel MV Hondius, which is currently anchored off the coast of Cape Verde, with five additional suspected cases of the disease, known as hantavirus, now identified.
A Dutch passenger died on board the ship on April 11, followed by their wife on April 27. Both fatalities have been confirmed as linked to a hantavirus outbreak. A German passenger also died on May 2, though the cause has yet to be verified. There are 19 Britons aboard the vessel, one of whom — a crew member — is scheduled to be evacuated to the Netherlands for medical care, alongside a Dutch colleague and a passenger.
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Another British passenger was medically evacuated from the ship on April 27 and remains isolated in hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. A further case has been confirmed in a Swiss man who had previously been on board the vessel, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced this morning.
Now an A&E doctor has clarified why medics are responding to the outbreak with such seriousness. Dr Ahmed, who has almost 500,000 followers on TikTok, described the outbreak as “scary” on the social media platform.
“What is alarming doctors and scientists about the hantavirus on board the cruise ship is the fact that, normally, hantavirus spreads through the droppings and urine of rodents like mice and rats, except for the Andes strain, which can transfer from human to human and is endemic in the exact area where the ship left from in Argentina,” he said. “The Andes strain can pass from human to human through long terms of close contact – exactly the kind of contact that can be enabled by a cruise ship.”
The strain of hantavirus linked to the outbreak has since been confirmed as the Andes variant. Dr Ahmed continued: “This is especially concerning because the first person to be affected and pass away from the virus was a Dutch woman who was diagnosed and passed away in early April, and the virus has since had a month on board the ship.”
However, he concluded on a more hopeful note, stating that the likelihood of this developing into a global pandemic is “very low”. “I think we should all save our energy and spend it for praying for the people, passengers, and staff on board, and their families who are eagerly waiting to see what the next steps would be to help their families and friends,” he said.
Although the ship is set to sail to the Canary Islands once passengers with suspected infections have been evacuated, the regional president has made clear his opposition to the plan, reports the Mirror. Passengers are currently confined to their cabins while “disinfection and other public health measures are carried out”, the WHO stated.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed that arrangements are being made for the “safe onward travel” of British nationals aboard the ship. The Foreign Office has also confirmed it has been in direct contact with all British passengers on board the vessel, which had been sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde.
What is hantavirus?
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) describes hantavirus as a group of viruses carried by rodents such as mice and rats, and is transmitted through their droppings and urine.
- fever
- extreme fatigue
- muscle aches
- stomach pain
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- shortness of breath
In some cases, those affected develop severe breathing difficulties and require hospitalisation. Symptoms typically emerge between one and four weeks following exposure, though there are reports of this occurring up to eight weeks later.
Infections arise when individuals inhale air contaminated with virus particles. It can also enter the body via cuts, the eyes, or a rodent bite, though this remains uncommon. Infections are most frequently recorded in rural and agricultural settings.
The majority of hantavirus strains do not pass between humans, though the Andes variant — confirmed as the strain responsible for the outbreak — is capable of doing so. When transmission does occur, it is through prolonged and very close contact. There is currently no vaccine or targeted treatment available. Patients with the virus receive care based on their symptoms.
