Three People Evacuated from Hantavirus Infected Cruise Ship As Ship Heads To Spain

A cruise ship battling a hantavirus outbreak is now heading towards Spain after three people, including a British crew member, were evacuated for urgent medical treatment.

The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius had remained anchored off Cape Verde while authorities coordinated the medical evacuation of infected passengers and crew members.

One of those evacuated, 56-year-old British expedition guide Martin Anstee, said he was stable but still undergoing further examinations.

“I’m doing OK. I’m not feeling too bad,” he said. “There are still lots of tests to be done.”

A Dutch doctor working onboard and a German passenger were also removed from the vessel. The World Health Organisation confirmed that all three are being transported to the Netherlands for treatment.

Health authorities have identified eight suspected cases linked to the outbreak, with five already confirmed. Three people have died so far, including a Dutch couple and a German national.

Spanish authorities have since approved the ship’s docking in the Canary Islands, allowing the voyage to continue with nearly 150 passengers and crew still onboard.

The outbreak has raised concern among officials in Tenerife, although health authorities continue to stress that the wider public health risk remains low.

Hantavirus is typically transmitted through exposure to rodents or contaminated droppings, saliva, or urine. Human-to-human transmission is considered extremely rare.

Authorities are carrying out contact tracing operations across several countries after passengers disembarked at different points during the vessel’s journey from Argentina through Antarctica and remote Atlantic islands.

Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator, said passengers and crew would undergo screening and quarantine procedures once the vessel arrives in Spain.