As the remaining passengers head for the Canary Islands we look at how the virus spreads and what is being done
The cruise ship hit with a deadly outbreak of hantavirus is on its way to the Canary Islands, where the remaining passengers are expected to be repatriated provided they have no symptoms. Here we look at the investigation into the outbreak and what comes next.
The first passengers onboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, a cruise ship sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde, fell ill in early April, with symptoms ranging from fever, gastrointestinal problems, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock. Three people have died since 11 April, including a Dutch couple and a German woman, whose body remains on the ship. As of Thursday there are eight suspected cases, three confirmed as hantavirus by lab tests.
Three people with suspected hantavirus, including 56-year-old Martin Anstee, a retired British policeman who worked on the ship as an expedition guide, have been evacuated and are receiving medical care in the Netherlands. Another Briton is in hospital in South Africa. Another person was diagnosed after disembarking and returning to Switzerland, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said.
