New details are emerging about what unfolded aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which is at the center of a hantavirus outbreak. According to the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO), six confirmed cases have been recorded among eight suspected cases. These include a Dutch couple and a German woman, all of whom have died.
The virus is known but rare, with no available vaccine or specific treatment. Despite the incidents, the WHO assures that the risk of spread to the general population remains “extremely low.” As noted, this is a dangerous virus for infected individuals, but it is not considered a widespread threat.
The moment the MV Hondius cruise ship captain announces the first hantavirus death
Ruhi Cenet, one of the cruise ship passengers, spoke to the Daily Mail and describes the moment when the ship’s captain announced the death of the 70-year-old passenger. “The captain said it was his sad duty to inform us that a passenger had died the night before. He said it was very tragic, but was due to natural causes, which we now know was wrong. He even said the doctor had told him it wasn’t contagious and that the ship was safe,” he stated.
Ruhi also recalls how everyone rushed to comfort the widow, as they didn’t know at the time that it was the deadly virus that she also carried. “Everyone felt very sorry for her. They hugged her and talked to her,” he said. “People were simply trying to support her because she had lost her husband. She called us angels who were protecting her. She was a very nice, kind woman, but perhaps it wasn’t best for people to hug her and be so close to her,” he added.
Subsequently, everything returned to normal rhythms and life on the ship continued with meetings, gym sessions, and activities. The first part of the journey was coming to an end and 30 passengers from 12 countries, including the widow and Ruhi, were preparing to disembark at Saint Helena and return to their home countries. “I remember that on the day we disembarked, she was having difficulty walking,” he notes. The woman died two days later, after being airlifted to a hospital in Johannesburg.
“We weren’t properly informed and for 12 days there were no precautions at all”
“After the second death, it was obvious there was a virus on the ship, but by then it was too late. We weren’t properly informed and for 12 days there were no precautions at all.”
The cruise ship is currently sailing toward Tenerife in the Canary Islands, where it is expected tomorrow, Sunday. Passenger disembarkation must take place sometime from Sunday afternoon until Monday, the “only window” of opportunity due to weather conditions, stated an official from the local government of the Canary Islands.
