Hantavirus-hit cruise ship on way to Canary Islands after three evacuated

Two people in a serious condition who were evacuated from a cruise ship with a confirmed outbreak of deadly hantavirus have arrived in the Netherlands for treatment, operator Oceanwide Expeditions has said. A third passenger in a stable condition was on board an evacuation flight that has been delayed, the operator added. The MV Hondius is now sailing towards Spain’s Canary Islands after being anchored for three days near Cape Verde, an archipelago nation off the West African coast.

The three evacuees were British, Dutch and German. Oceanwide Expeditions said the 65-year-old German evacuee was “closely associated” with a German woman who died on board the ship on 2 May. The British evacuee has been identified by several media outlets as 56-year-old ex-police officer Martin Anstee, who is understood to be in a “stable condition” in the Netherlands.

A 41-year-old Dutch crew member is also among those who have been evacuated. Separately, Dutch media reported on Thursday that a KLM flight attendant had been admitted to hospital in Amsterdam with hantavirus symptoms. The stewardess reportedly came into contact with a 69-year-old Dutch woman after she was briefly on board a KLM plane in South Africa but was deemed too ill to fly.

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The 69-year-old later died, and her death is being investigated as a suspected hantavirus case by South African health authorities. Three people who were aboard the ship have died since it set sail from Argentina a month ago. Meanwhile, two US states have confirmed to the BBC that they are monitoring three passengers who had returned to the US after disembarking earlier.

All are currently not displaying symptoms. Georgia’s public health department said two residents were being monitored and were in good health, showing no signs of infection.

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