Devastated passenger tearfully describes conditions on board cruise where three died in rat-borne hantavirus outbreak
Passengers are being quarantined on the ship stuck at Cape Verde, except for three people who will be medically evacuated
A devastated passenger has describes the conditions on board a cruise ship isolated in the Atlantic Ocean after three people died onboard due to an outbreak of a deadly rat-borne virus.
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Three people have died and two cases of hantavirus have been confirmed, tour operator Oceanwide Expeditions said.
The cases include a British passenger receiving care in South Africa and a newly confirmed case in a Dutch woman who passed away on April 27 after disembarking.
The company said in a statement on Monday that two staff members - one British and one Dutch - were continuing to show “acute respiratory symptoms”, one mild and one severe.
Holding back tears, US travel blogger Jake Rosmarin, a passenger on the cruise, said: "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," he said between shaky breaths.
He added that he was grateful to the crew, who had been handling the situation "to the best of their ability".
"All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home," he added.
Read More: Second hantavirus case confirmed on board after three die in cruise ship outbreak of rat-borne virus
The influencer boasts 31.1K followers on Tik Tok, where he posts travel videos.
Rosmarin has been posting about the cruise for the last two weeks.
He started with a "happy embarkation day" video detailing the 35-day cruise around the "most remote islands in the world".
The ship boasts a swanky bar, dining area, library, and lecture hall with spacious cabins carrying 170 passengers. The travel vlogger also showed shared drinking fountains and coffee stations onboard the ship.
Just two days ago Rosmarin posted smiling videos on Tristan da Cunha, a remote volcanic island in the Atlantic.
The suspected outbreak was reported on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde.
Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed the British tourist remains in a “critical but stable” condition after being medically evacuated to South Africa on April 27, where they are being treated in an intensive care unit in Johannesburg.
The ship’s journey began on April 1, and a passenger died on board on April 11, Oceanwide Expeditions said.
The cause of death could not be determined on board. On April 24, this passenger was disembarked on St Helena, with his wife accompanying the repatriation.
The wife became unwell during the return journey and died. Authorities later confirmed she tested positive for a variant of hantavirus.
Both passengers were Dutch nationals.
On May 2, a German passenger on board died. The cause has not yet been established, the tour operator confirmed.
The company added that guests will not be disembarking in Cape Verde, except for three individuals who will be medically evacuated.
“Dutch authorities are actively preparing a medical evacuation of the two symptomatic individuals along with the individual associated with the guest that passed away,” a company statement said.
“This will involve two specialised aircraft equipped with the necessary medical equipment and staffed by trained medical crews.
“This is not confirmed and is subject to change.”
The ship may instead continue to Las Palmas or Tenerife, but no final disembarkation point has been finalised.
Hantavirus infections, which are usually spread by infected rodents’ urine or faeces, can lead to severe respiratory illness and can sometimes be fatal.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “This is a deeply worrying time for all those on board the MV Hondius and the families of those affected by the hantavirus outbreak.
“FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) Consular teams have been stood up across the UK, South Africa, Spain and Portugal to support British nationals and we are working around the clock with our international partners, including the cruise ship operator.
“FCDO teams are also in contact with the family of a British man who was a passenger on the ship and is now in hospital in South Africa.”
The risk to the wider public remains low, according to Hans Henri P Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe. He added that there is “no need for panic or travel restrictions”.
While it is rare, hantavirus infections can spread between people, according to the WHO.
There is no specific treatment or cure, but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive medical attention early.