A cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak is sailing towards Spain after three people, including a British crew member, were medically evacuated for treatment.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius had been anchored off Cape Verde while arrangements were made to remove infected passengers and crew.
Among those evacuated was Martin Anstee, a 56-year-old British expedition guide onboard the vessel.
“I’m doing OK. I’m not feeling too bad,” he told reporters. “There are still lots of tests to be done.”
A Dutch doctor working on the ship and a German passenger were also evacuated. According to the World Health Organisation, the three are being transferred for treatment in the Netherlands.
Health officials said eight cases had been identified so far, five of them confirmed. Three people connected to the outbreak have died, including a Dutch couple and a German national.
Spanish authorities have now granted permission for the vessel to dock in the Canary Islands, allowing the ship’s journey to continue with nearly 150 people still onboard.
The outbreak has sparked concern among regional officials in Tenerife, though health authorities continue to insist that the overall public health risk remains low.
Hantavirus is usually spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, saliva or urine. Human-to-human transmission is considered rare.
Officials are continuing contact tracing efforts across multiple countries after passengers earlier disembarked from the ship during its voyage from Argentina through Antarctica and remote Atlantic islands.
The ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said screening and quarantine procedures would be carried out once the vessel arrives in Spain.
Erizia Rubyjeana
