Two of the three people who died after a possible virus outbreak on a cruise ship off the coast of Cape Verde are from Haulerwijk. The couple died as a result of the hantavirus. The man and woman were both 69 years old.
Two others on board are ill. Haulerwijk is a village in the municipality of Ooststellingwerf in Friesland. It is located next to the Drenthe Een.
The man died on board the ship. His body was then brought ashore on the island of St Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean.
The woman died in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, during her return journey to the Netherlands. Her body is currently still in Johannesburg. Both bodies will later be transferred to the Netherlands.
The ship Hondius is owned by the Dutch shipping company Oceanwide Expeditions. The ship started a cruise three weeks ago with more than 150 passengers to, among others, the South Pole and the Falkland Islands. During the voyage, illness broke out on board. The ship is currently moored off the coast of Cape Verde.
According to the shipping company, there are now 149 passengers of 23 different nationalities on board the ship. Among them are 13 Dutch people, 5 of whom are crew members. In consultation with the authorities of Cape Verde and international health organizations, additional safety measures have been taken and sick passengers have been quarantined.
In addition to the Frisian couple, a third passenger also died. It comes from Germany. Another passenger, a British national, was seriously ill and admitted to hospital in Johannesburg. He was diagnosed with the hantavirus.
The hantavirus is transmitted via rodents, such as mice and rats. The virus spreads through the urine and feces of the animals.
People can become infected by a rodent bite or by inhaling dried dust particles from the animals’ feces.
Family members and loved ones of those affected by the hantavirus on the ship Hondius are guided by On behalf of the Family. This is an organization that provides assistance in dramatic events and crisis situations.
A family member of the couple from Haulerwijk asks on behalf of the Family for restraint in reporting: “The wonderful journey they experienced together was abruptly interrupted. We cannot yet understand that we have to miss them. We want to bring them home in peace and commemorate them. We request the media not to share names, images or personal details of them or our family.”
