Health authorities are racing to trace dozens of people who disembarked from a hantavirus-hit cruise ship on the island of St Helena in the South Atlantic. The ship’s operator said 29 passengers, of at least 12 different nationalities, left the MV Hondius on 24 April. The Dutch government gave a different figure of 40.
Among those who left the Dutch vessel at the island was a 69-year-old woman who later died in South Africa. The Dutch government said a Swiss national who has since been diagnosed with hantavirus was also one of those who left the cruise at the British Overseas Territory. Two other people died on board the ship, which set sail from Argentina a month ago.
Three others were evacuated from the ship on Wednesday, of British, Dutch and German nationalities. The British man has been named as 56-year-old Martin Anstee and is in a stable condition. The other evacuees were a 41-year-old Dutch crew member and a 65-year-old German, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Oceanwide Expeditions said in an update on Thursday that 30 people, including the body of one of the guests who died, had disembarked on 24 April. This included seven British people and six Americans, as well as guests from countries including Canada, Germany, Singapore, Turkey and Switzerland. It added that the first confirmed case of hantavirus was not reported until 4 May and thatall guests who disembarked the ship have been contacted by it.
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