Updated ,first published
A passenger who was aboard the cruise ship hit by an outbreak of hantavirus has returned to Australia, according to a passenger still on the stricken vessel.
The Australian was among 23 people who left the ship at St Helena on April 21, one of whom has since tested positive to the virus and is now in hospital in Switzerland, the passenger said.
The incubation period for the virus can last several weeks. Those who remain on board are isolating under strict hygiene measures.
The passenger from Spain told Spanish newspaper El Pais the group left the ship on the island of St Helena 10 days after the first death was recorded.
“Until three days ago, no one had contacted them,” the Spanish passenger was quoted as saying.
“The Australian went back to Australia, the one from Taiwan to Taiwan, the Americans to all corners of North America. The Englishman to England, the Dutch to their homes,” they said.
One of the departed passengers, who reportedly “wasn’t feeling well” when they disembarked, went to hospital in Switzerland and has since tested positive to the virus.
Another person linked to the ship is in intensive care at a hospital in South Africa. Three deaths have been tied to the outbreak, with eight total cases recorded.
On Wednesday, specialist teams transferred three people from the ship.
The ship is currently off the west coast of Africa, destined for the Canary Islands, but the regional government in the Spanish territory is opposed to it docking.
“This decision [by the Spanish government to allow the docking] is not based on any technical criteria, nor is there sufficient information to reassure the public or guarantee their safety,” Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo told Madrid radio station, COPE.
The luxury cruise ship has been marooned for days off the coast of Cape Verde.
“Oceanwide Expeditions remains in close and continual discussion with relevant authorities regarding our exact point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and a precise timeline,” the operator said in a statement.
“We are unable to confirm the details of onward travel for guests at this stage.”
The ship departed Ushuaia in Argentina, the usual starting point for most of the company’s Antarctic voyages. The country has been consistently ranked by the World Health Organisation as having the highest incidence of the rare, rodent-borne disease in Latin America.
People typically contract the virus from exposure to rodent droppings, urine or saliva.
Two Argentine officials investigating the origins of the outbreak said the leading hypothesis is that a Dutch couple contracted the virus while bird-watching in Ushuaia before boarding.
They said the couple visited a landfill during the tour and may have been exposed to rodents. The officials spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media, with the investigation ongoing.
Four Australians were on board the ship, though their identities have not been disclosed. In a statement, DFAT told Reuters it was aware Australians were on the ship but was not aware of any being affected by the reported hantavirus outbreak.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted regarding the Spanish newspaper’s report of an Australian disembarking the ship in Saint Helena and returning home.
The Australian Centre for Disease Control referred all enquiries to DFAT.
Health authorities say about 150 people from 23 countries are on board the ship.
Passengers, some of whom have been aboard since March 20, have reported moods swinging between fear and boredom: empty lounges, quiet decks, hot drinks, face masks, medical checks, and the uncertainty of not knowing when and how their journey will end.
with Reuters, AP
Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.
Jack Gramenz is a breaking news reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.
