UK working to return nationals from cruise ship hit by hantavirus outbreak

Britain’s foreign secretary said Wednesday that officials are working urgently to return 19 British passengers and four British crew members aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship following a hantavirus outbreak in the Atlantic Ocean.

"The outbreak of hantavirus is very serious and deeply stressful for those affected and their families," Yvette Cooper said in a statement.

She noted that the UK response is being led by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), working with the World Health Organization.

"The Foreign Office is working urgently to support the UKHSA’s work overseas and to make sure British nationals on the MV Hondius can all get safely home with proper protection for public health," Cooper said.

She added that Foreign Office ministers are in close contact with Dutch and Spanish counterparts and have been working with other countries to facilitate medical evacuations, support overseas territories and get British nationals home safely as quickly as possible.

The Dutch cruise ship, carrying around 150 passengers, was hit by a hantavirus outbreak off the coast of Cape Verde, with three deaths reported.

The MV Hondius had been on a weeklong polar cruise from Argentina to Antarctica before sailing toward Cape Verde.