The captain of a cruise ship where three people died after a hantavirus outbreak told passengers there was 'nothing infectious' involving the first death, newly released footage shows.
Captain's Announcement
Video captures the moment the captain of MV Hondius addressed passengers gathered in a seating area, stating that a Dutch man had died from 'natural causes' as they sailed through the Atlantic Ocean. The captain said: 'One of our passengers sadly passed away last night. Tragic as it is, we believe it is from natural causes. I am told by the doctor it is not infectious, so the ship is safe when it comes to that. It happens at sea sometimes. Very sad, very tragic.'
He added that as they were in the middle of the Atlantic, they were 'only a few places they could go to'. A crew member noted that 'the gentleman got sick' a few days before he passed, with his wife still on board.
The Victims
Both the man and his wife, both 69, had developed the rat virus and brought it aboard the ship after visiting the city of Ushuaia, Argentina. The couple from Denmark are believed to have visited a landfill site during a birdwatching trip and may have been exposed to rodents carrying the deadly infection. The husband died on April 11 after suffering flu-like symptoms for five days. His body went ashore at Saint Helena on April 24 alongside his wife. She then fell ill and died in Johannesburg on April 26. A German national also died on the ship on May 2.
Passenger Concerns
One passenger, Cenet, accused the ship of not taking the outbreak seriously enough. He said: 'They didn't even consider the possibility of having such a contagious disease. They didn't take the problem seriously enough.'
The family of the Danish couple said: 'We cannot yet comprehend that we have to miss them. We want to bring them home in peace and remember them.'
British Crew Member Evacuated
A British crew member who was evacuated from the ship and has symptoms of the virus has been identified as Martin Anstree. The 56-year-old former police officer turned wildlife photographer was on board as an expert birdwatching guide. He told Sky News from a hospital in the Netherlands: '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.'
UK Response
Two other Britons who returned independently to the UK from the cruise ship have been told to self-isolate at home, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.
