Hantavirus outbreak: A German also dies on a cruise ship

Beach (Kap Verde) – Three people have died after a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship on the Atlantic – including a German. The shipping company “Oceanwide Expeditions” confirmed this on Monday. The man died on board the MV Hondius on May 2nd. The other two dead were a Dutch couple. The exact cause of the German’s death has not yet been clarified.

Die cruise started in Ushuaia in Argentina, destination was Cape Verde. But on April 11, the first passenger died – a 70-year-old Dutchman. His body was disembarked on the island of St. Helena on April 24th. His wife (69) also left the ship there.

Wife also died

On April 27, the company received the next shocking news: the woman had also died. The World Health Organization (WHO) initially announced on Sunday that that the two were British. As the company now clarified, it was a couple from the Netherlands.

Also on April 27, another passenger became seriously ill. The Briton was taken to a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has been receiving intensive care treatment there ever since. According to the shipping company, his condition is critical but stable.

Virus only detected in one patient

Five days later, on May 2nd, the German died. According to the company, he was still on board the MV Hondius. The Foreign Office told BILD: “Unfortunately, we have to confirm that one of the people affected is a person with German citizenship. Our colleagues at the Lisbon embassy are in close contact with the local authorities.”

The shipping company explains the deaths: Hantavirus was only confirmed beyond doubt in the case of the British man in Johannesburg. Whether the deaths are also related to that Virus are connected has not yet been officially proven.

There are currently two crew members on board the ship who are also showing symptoms of respiratory illness. The Course of the disease be heavy for one of the crew members and light for the other. According to the shipping company, they are a British and a Dutch citizen. They need “urgent medical treatment”. However, the Cape Verdean authorities refuse to let the people disembark.

149 people still on board

There are currently 149 people on board, including 88 passengers. Seven passengers – including the deceased – and one crew member come from Germany. According to the shipping company, the remaining people on the ship come from 22 other countries. Travel blogger Jake Rosmarin from Boston is also on board the ship. He actually didn’t want to comment on the situation out of respect for those affected, he says. But now he published a statement on TikTok.

Through tears he says: “We are not just stories, we are not just headlines, we are people. People with families, with lives, with people waiting at home for us to return.” He continues: “All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to be able to go home.”

According to the shipping company, they are working closely with the authorities. The ship is currently still on the coast of Cape Verde. The next steps have not yet been determined. Consideration is being given to continuing on to Las Palmas or Tenerife.