Hantavirus emergency: Filipinos make up bulk of MV Hondius crew
GENEVA — Three passengers who were cruising the Atlantic Ocean on the MV Hondius have died, with one other person on the trip now in hospital with hantavirus, and two crew ill.
Here is look at what we know so far about the ship, its journey, the passengers, the fatalities, the casualties and the likely next steps:
Who is on board?
Including a deceased German passenger, there are 149 people on board, among them 23 different nationalities.
There are 88 passengers, from 15 countries, including 19 from Britain, 17 from the United States 13 from Spain and eight from the Netherlands.
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There are 61 crew members, from 12 countries, including 38 from the Philippines, five from Ukraine, five from the Netherlands and four from Britain.
Three fatalities
A Dutch male passenger died on the ship on April 11. The cause of death could not be determined on board. The body was taken off the ship on April 24 in the British overseas territory of Saint Helena.
The wife of the deceased man, also Dutch, accompanied the “repatriation” of the body, said Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator.
It said that on April 27, it learned that she had become unwell during the return journey and had later died.
South African health ministry spokesperson Foster Mohale said the woman fell ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital. Mohale said she was 69 and her husband was 70.
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“It has not been confirmed that these two deaths are connected to the current medical situation on board,” Oceanwide Expeditions said.
On May 2, a German passenger died on the ship. The cause of death has not been established. The body remains on the vessel.
One passenger, two crew ill
On April 27, a British passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa. Mohale said the passenger was 69.
“This person is currently being treated in the intensive care unit in Johannesburg and is in a critical but stable condition,” said Oceanwide Expeditions.
A hantavirus variant has been identified in the patient — the only confirmed case at this stage.
Two crew members, one British and one Dutch, have acute respiratory symptoms: one mild and one severe.
They require urgent medical attention but remain on board.
READ: Hantavirus: What to know about the illness in cruise ship outbreak
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that currently there are no other symptomatic people on board.
Hantavirus
Hantaviruses circulate in rodents and can be deadly when transmitted to humans. In the Americas, the disease can cause severe respiratory illness.
Limited human‑to‑human transmission has been documented for only one hantavirus, which is found in South America.
There are no vaccines or specific medications for hantaviruses.
The ship
The Dutch-flagged MV (motor vessel) Hondius was built in 2019 for polar expedition cruising.
Its schedule shows it switches between southern and northern hemisphere summers.
The ship is operated by Dutch cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions.
It was built for 170 passengers in 80 cabins, and can take 57 crew, 13 guides and one doctor.
The ship is 107.6 metres (353 feet) long and 17.6 metres wide, with a top speed of 15 knots.
The journey
The cruise north through the Atlantic Ocean from Argentina to Cape Verde followed an initial March 10-31 return trip from Ushuaia in Argentina to the Antarctic Peninsula.
The ship left Ushuaia on April 1, according to tracking site MarineTraffic.
After visiting islands including South Georgia and Tristan da Cunha, the vessel called at Saint Helena, where the first fatality was taken off the ship on April 24.
It left Britain’s Ascension Island on April 27.
The ship is now anchored off Praia, the capital of Cape Verde.
What is happening on board?
Strict precautionary measures are in place, including isolation, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring.
The WHO says passengers are being asked to stay in their cabins while disinfection and other measures are being taken.
Where might the ship go next?
The Cape Verde authorities have said the passengers will not be allowed to disembark in the island country.
The option of sailing on to Las Palmas or Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands is under consideration for disembarkation and further medical screening. /dl
