WATCH Viral Video: MV Hondius Captain Announces Passenger’s Death, Then Says Cruise Ship Is Safe Before More Hantavirus Cases Surface

A viral video has emerged showing the captain of the MV Hondius cruise ship informing travelers that a passenger on the cruise had passed away. In another video, the captain of the rat virus, aka Hantavirus, stricken ship is seen telling passengers the vessel was “safe” and not infected even as the first death linked to the outbreak was being announced. Since that announcement, two more people have died, two passengers have tested positive for the deadly hantavirus, and three more people are undergoing testing after being medically evacuated to the Netherlands. A video recorded by Turkish travel blogger Ruhi Cenet showed the captain addressing passengers during a morning meeting. In the footage, the captain said the outbreak’s suspected patient zero was believed to have died of “natural causes.”

“Whatever issues he was struggling with, I’m told by the doctor we’re not infectious,” the captain said. “So the ship is safe when it comes to that.”

Cenet, 35, later said passengers were informed of the situation during a 9 a.m. gathering.

“We felt that there was something wrong. We normally don’t see the captain,” he said.

Passengers Continued Daily Activities Without Taking Precautions Against Hanta Virus Outbreak

According to Cenet, normal life aboard the expedition vessel continued after passengers were reassured there was no contagious disease onboard.

“Since we were not told of any contagious disease, everyone was relaxed,” he said.

However, the YouTuber sharply criticised how the situation was handled.

“They didn’t even consider the possibility of having such a contagious disease. They didn’t take the problem seriously enough,” he said.

He added that elderly passengers continued gathering in common areas in the days after the first death.

“We again kept eating all together… and we didn’t wear any masks.”

Following the first reported death, the MV Hondius sailed to Tristan da Cunha, where it remained anchored for a day.

British Passenger Tested Positive For Hantavirus After Evacuation

On May 2, a 69-year-old British passenger tested positive for hantavirus after being evacuated to South Africa for treatment. The positive test result resulted in quarantine measures being imposed on the remaining passengers onboard.

Since then, three more suspected cases have been medically evacuated to Amsterdam by personnel wearing hazmat suits.

Those evacuated include 56-year-old British expedition guide Martin Anstee, a 65-year-old German woman, and the ship’s 41-year-old Dutch doctor.

Two additional British passengers who had travelled on the vessel before the outbreak became public have also begun self-isolating after returning to the UK.

Around 150 passengers from 23 countries remain onboard the affected vessel.

Report Claims Some Passengers Left Ship Before Hantavirus Outbreak Was Known

At least 23 passengers had already disembarked from the MV Hondius and returned to their home countries, including the United States, before the scale of the outbreak became widely known, according to a report.

Passengers who left the vessel during its April 23 stop at Saint Helena were allegedly unaware they may have been exposed to hantavirus, which carries a mortality rate of up to 40%.

A passenger still onboard the ship told Spanish newspaper El Pais that several former passengers had not initially been contacted after leaving the vessel.

“There are 23 people wandering around there, and until three days ago, no one had contacted them,” the passenger said.

WHO Says Widespread Transmission Unlikely

The World Health Organization said national governments have started contact tracing efforts linked to the outbreak.

However, health experts believe large-scale transmission is unlikely because hantavirus is considered significantly less contagious than illnesses such as COVID-19.

The WHO also said on Wednesday that the ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, had recently contacted passengers who had already left the ship regarding the outbreak.

Also Read: Hantavirus Spread Sparks Covid-Like Fears As WHO Suspects Human-to-Human Transmission, Should You Be Worried?