Passengers tell virus-hit cruise ship ‘not contagious’ after first death

Video taken by a passenger on the MV Hondius shows the captain saying a man on board died of “natural causes”.

On April 12, the captain of the hantavirus-hit cruise ship told passengers that doctors said the person was “not contagious.”

Three confirmed cases and five suspected cases of hantavirus, a rare but serious disease commonly spread by rodents, have since been discovered.

Turkish YouTuber Ruhi Çenet, who filmed the announcement on the cruise ship, told the BBC that no immediate safety precautions were taken.

About 150 people from 23 countries are currently stranded on a boat off Cape Verde, on the west coast of Africa.

Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement released on Thursday: “The safety and well-being of all passengers and crew is our top priority. When the first death occurred on April 11, the cause of death was unknown and there was no evidence of a virus or communicable disease onboard the MV Hondius.”

The statement continued that “after medical review” the death was considered an “isolated” case, adding: “We followed appropriate procedures when notifying all guests and crew on board the MV Hondius. Health and safety and maritime standards regarding the proper management and reporting of deaths at sea are strictly adhered to.”

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