British crew member needs ‘urgent’ care after suspected hantavirus outbreak leaves three dead on cruise ship: Latest
A British crew member is in need of “urgent” medical care while another Briton is undergoing treatment in intensive care following a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a polar expedition cruise ship in the Atlantic.
The outbreak on the Dutch-flagged vessel MV Hondius, which began a remote expedition voyage from Argentina to Cape Verde on 1 April, has left at least three people dead.
The operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said a Dutch husband and wife as well as a German national had died.
The confirmed cases include a British passenger receiving care in South Africa and a Dutch woman who died on 27 April after disembarking.
The British passenger remains in a “critical but stable” condition after being medically evacuated to South Africa, where they are being treated in intensive care.
The operator said two crew members – one British and one Dutch – were continuing to show “acute respiratory symptoms”, one mild and one severe.
The WHO said a total of seven hantavirus cases – two confirmed and five suspected – had been identified on the cruise ship so far.
