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A sick British crew member and his colleague face a high seas rescue mission from the cruise ship at the centre of a suspected hantavirus outbreak. A specialist air evacuation is being prepared as authorities scramble to reach the stricken MV Hondius, which remains anchored off Cape Verde after being refused permission to dock.

Dutch officials are overseeing the operation to extract the two crew members - one British and one Dutch - who are in urgent need of medical treatment, with one suffering severe respiratory symptoms. The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is carrying nearly 150 passengers and crew, including more than 20 Britons. The suspected outbreak of Hantavirus has already been linked to three deaths during the ship's weeks-long voyage across the South Atlantic. A British passenger who fell ill in late April tested positive and was airlifted to South Africa, where he remains in intensive care in a critical but stable condition.

Two further fatalities have deepened concern. A Dutch man died onboard earlier in the voyage after suffering fever, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

His wife later died in hospital in Johannesburg after leaving the vessel; her infection was confirmed after her death. A German passenger became the third victim over the weekend, with their body still on board.

The World Health Organization has confirmed at least two cases linked to the ship and is investigating a possible third, while coordinating contact tracing across multiple countries.

Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine or saliva. Although rare, it can cause severe respiratory illness and can be fatal. Human-to-human transmission is considered uncommon, and officials have stressed that the wider public risk remains low.

Cape Verdean authorities have barred the ship from docking, citing concerns about protecting the local population.

A medical team has instead been dispatched to the vessel to assess passengers and crew, while preparations are made for a complex medical evacuation at sea.

Oceanwide Expeditions said the evacuation would involve "two specialised aircraft equipped with the necessary medical equipment and staffed by trained medical crews", according to The Times. The company added that the situation onboard remained "calm, with passengers generally composed".

There are no reports of widespread illness among those remaining onboard, although one person is being assessed after developing mild fever symptoms. Passengers and crew have been instructed to wear masks and observe distancing measures as a precaution.

Uncertainty remains over where the ship will ultimately be allowed to dock. Options under consideration include sailing north to the Canary Islands, where health screening could take place before disembarkation.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said the UK was monitoring developments closely and stood ready to support British nationals if required.

The source of the outbreak has yet to be identified. Health officials note that hantavirus can incubate for several weeks, raising the possibility that infections occurred before the vessel departed Argentina.

For now, the focus remains on evacuating the most seriously ill and containing a complex outbreak that has stretched across remote Atlantic territories and multiple national jurisdictions.

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