MORE THAN 20 BRITONS TRAPPED ON CRUISE SHIP AFTER KILLER RAT VIRUS OUTBREAK
More than 20 Britons are trapped on a cruise ship after the outbreak of a rat-borne virus.
The MV Hondius has been anchored off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, since Sunday, after the deaths of three passengers during an outbreak of hantavirus. Cape Verde authorities have denied those on board permission to disembark.
A total of 23 British nationals – 19 passengers and four crew members – are on the ship, which set sail from Ushuaia, Argentina, on March 10 for a 46-day trip. In total, 148 people are on board.
The first fatality happened on April 11, when a Dutchman, 70, died after falling ill. His body was removed when the ship arrived at St Helena on April 24. His wife, 69, who was taken off the ship on the same day, died on the island. Their causes of death have not been confirmed.
The World Health Organisation said it was “aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean”. It said two cases and five suspected cases of hantavirus had been identified.
On April 27, a British passenger fell ill and was sent to South Africa for treatment, where they are in intensive care having been diagnosed with hantavirus. On Saturday, another passenger, who was German, died on board MV Hondius. His body has not yet been taken off the ship.
Two people on board – including a British crew member – have “acute respiratory symptoms” requiring “urgent medical care”, according to Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise’s Dutch operator.
A spokesman said: “The disembarkation of passengers, medical evacuation and medical screening require permission from, and coordination with, the local health authorities.
“Local health authorities have visited the vessel and assessed the situation. The medical transfer of the two ill persons on board has not yet taken place.”
Oceanwide Expeditions has told the passengers and crew to wear masks, maintain social distancing and minimise contact with other guests. The captain was considering sailing to Las Palmas or Tenerife to allow passengers to disembark.
The 353ft-long MV Hondius, which can carry up to 170 passengers with a crew of 70, had sailed from Antarctica to Ushuaia, Argentina, then on to Cape Verde.
Hantavirus can cause haemorrhagic fever and is usually spread by rodents through their urine, droppings and saliva. It is not usually spread via human-to-human transmission.
Betsy Arakawa, the wife of Gene Hackman, the late Hollywood actor, died from the virus.
On Monday, Jake Rosmarin, a passenger on the cruise, shared a video clip on social media. In it, he tearfully said he wanted to “feel safe” and “get home”.
He said: “I am currently on board the MV Hondius and what is 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. 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 far away, it’s happening to us.”
Mr Rosmarin, who blogs about travel, said the crew had been “handling this situation to the best of their ability” and added that he was “very grateful for their efforts throughout”.
Oceanwide Expeditions issued a letter informing passengers on Sunday that staff were “awaiting approval” to allow them to leave the ship at Cape Verde. However, the island nation’s authorities insisted no one from the ship would be allowed on shore.
Maria da Luz, the president of Cape Verde’s Public Health Institute, told A Nação, a newspaper, that the ship would “have to continue its route”, adding that passengers would not be allowed to enter the country to protect the local population.
She said the Cape Verdean government would monitor the situation and had sent a medical team on to the ship equipped with personal protective gear. Ms da Luz added that their initial findings suggested the incident was caused by a “co-infection with other micro-organisms”.
Oceanwide Expeditions said in a letter to MV Hondius passengers on Sunday: “As you are aware, we are responding to several cases of an unidentified virus. We regret to share that, overnight, a guest presenting severe symptoms has passed away.
“We are currently anchored off Cape Verde and awaiting approval from the Cape Verde authorities to disembark, with priority given to those who require immediate medical care. At this stage, we do not have authorisation from the Cape Verde authorities to disembark.”
MV Hondius is an expedition cruise ship designed to sail the rough waters of the polar regions. It launched in 2019 and has four-star accommodation. Voyages cost around £10,000. The WHO said it was analysing samples from the infected passengers.
It said: “Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing. Hantavirus infections are typically linked to environmental exposure (exposure to infected rodents’ urine or faeces).
“While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response.”
A UK Foreign Office spokesman 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.”
2026-05-04T10:55:28Z
