It was meant to be the journey of a lifetime for Boston travel influencer Jake Rosmarin, crossing the south Atlantic Ocean on the MV Hondius, but the trip has turned into a nightmare after three people died in a hantavirus outbreak.
Jake Rosmarin is still aboard the MV Hondius, which suffered an outbreak of hantavirus while voyaging through the south Atlantic. US influencer Jake Rosmarin describes a lack of certainty after three people died and more are suspected to be infected, as the ship is barred from docking at Cape Verde .
The Spanish health ministry has announced it will accept the ship and its passengers at the Canary Islands, while the cruise operators are preparing to evacuate three people to the Netherlands. It was meant to be the journey of a lifetime for Boston-based travel influencer Jake Rosmarin, crossing the South Atlantic Ocean from Ushuia in Argentina to Cape Verde off the coast of Africa.
"This was easily one of the most exciting moments of the entire trip," Rosmarin said as he travelled to Tristan Da Cunha, a British Overseas Territory that holds the title of most remote inhabited island in the world. Jake Rosmarin made a tearful statement regarding his experiences onboard the MV Hondius to an Instagram audience of 51,000 followers.
The MV Hondius, part of the Oceanwide Expeditions' cruise ship fleet, was on a 34-day voyage across the Atlantic Ocean carrying 147 passengers and crew.two cases had been substantiated in a laboratory setting, with another five suspected. The MV Hondius has been banned from docking at Cape Verde, but the Spanish government will allow it to stop at the Canary Islands.
"The outbreak is being managed through a coordinated international response, and includes in-depth investigations, case isolation and care, medical evacuation and laboratory investigations," the WHO said in a statement. Ruhi Çenet, a Turkish content creator, travel blogger and documentary filmmaker, was also travelling aboard the MV Hondius, but left the ship after the first death was announced.
"When one of the passengers died during their month-long journey on the expedition vessel I honestly thought it was because of the rough ocean conditions," Çenet said in a video posted to his Instagram. "I'm told by the doctor we're not infectious," an unnamed employee said in the video. Çenet said his thoughts were still "with the people of the ship", but he thought Oceanwide Expeditions staff should have implemented quarantine measures sooner.
In a statement, Oceanwide Expeditions said three people would be evacuated to Cape Verde in specialised aircraft, to be transported to the Netherlands for further treatment from there. Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, died of a hantavirus infection a full week before her husband. Medical experts have said it has a low mortality rate and was mostly spread by rodents.
"Our plan is to proceed to the Canary Islands, either Gran Canaria or Tenerife, which will take 3 days of sailing," it said. Rosmarin, who is still on board, says "there's a lot of uncertainty and that's the hardest part".
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