Three people have died aboard the MV Hondius (Image: Getty)
A cruise ship where three people have died following a viral outbreak is heading to the Canary Islands after a British crew member and two others were airlifted for emergency medical treatment. Martin Anstree, along with a 41-year-old Dutch colleague and a 65-year-old German national, were evacuated from the MV Hondius on Wednesday.
The incident follows an outbreak of hantavirus linked to a birdwatching excursion in Argentina, which has already claimed three lives. An emergency doctor has now stepped forward to explain what the public needs to know about the illness. American doctor Meghan Martin, who goes by the name Beachgem10 on TikTok, where she boasts 2.6 million followers, shed further light on the situation.
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“If you are panicking or worried about the hantavirus on the cruise ship, please do not,” she said. “Unless you’re on the cruise ship, in which case a reasonable amount of concern is definitely warranted.”
Dr Martin went on to clarify that hantavirus does not typically spread through person-to-person contact, with the exception of the Andes strain — which is precisely the form of the virus that has been identified aboard the MV Hondius, reports the Mirror. “Like a lot of illnesses it starts pretty [non]-specific,” she said.
“So, for the first four to 10 days it’s like fever, fatigue, muscle aches, you can have some headache, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain. And then after the four to 10 days you can develop more respiratory symptoms, cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, and then it can progress from there.”
She continued: “Hantavirus is really uncommon, there’s obviously no vaccine for it. Antibiotics won’t work because it is a viral infection. Antibiotics work on bacteria. So the treatment is generally going to be supportive. And, unfortunately, the risk of not surviving hantavirus is pretty high. It’s between 30 and 40 per cent of the cases don’t make it.”
Dr Martin recommended that anyone undertaking cleaning work in areas of their home or outbuildings such as sheds or barns where rodent activity has been detected should wear a respiratory mask. “Otherwise, if you’re just living your life, hantavirus is really going to be a very, very, very, very minimal public health risk,” she said.
The MV Hondius is currently sailing towards the Canary Islands, with the Foreign Office making arrangements for a charter flight to repatriate the remaining Britons aboard who are not showing symptoms once the vessel reaches port. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that none of the British nationals on board are presently displaying symptoms, though they remain under close observation and will be instructed to isolate for 45 days upon their return home.
Expedition guide and former police officer Mr Anstee was airlifted from the vessel and flown to the Netherlands to receive specialist medical treatment. Speaking from hospital, he told Sky News: “I’m doing OK. I’m not feeling too bad. There are still lots of tests to be done. I have no idea how long I’ll be in the hospital for. I’m in isolation at the moment.”
His wife Nicola told the Telegraph it had been “a very traumatic few days”. She added: “He’s relieved to be off the ship. He had it quite mild then it got a bit more serious and now he’s stable again. The fear with this virus is it can deteriorate very quickly so it’s been a bit up and down for him. I don’t believe he’s in imminent danger now but it was horrible.”
What is hantavirus?
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) describes hantavirus as a collection of viruses carried by rodents such as mice and rats, transmitted through their droppings and urine.
- fever
- extreme fatigue
- muscle aches
- stomach pain
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- shortness of breath
In some cases, those affected develop severe respiratory difficulties and require hospitalisation. Symptoms typically emerge between one and four weeks following exposure, though there are reports of this occurring up to eight weeks later.
Infection occurs when people inhale air contaminated with viral particles. It may also enter the body via cuts, the eyes, or a rodent bite, though this is uncommon. Infections are most prevalent in rural and agricultural settings.
