Former British police officer evacuated from rat-virus ship named after 'very traumatic few days'

A former British police officer evacuated from the Cape Verde-bound vessel that fell victim to an outbreak of hantavirus has been named.

The outbreak, which has so far claimed three lives and left several others infected, emerged aboard the MV Hondius on Saturday.

Martin Anstee, a 56-year-old expedition guide, was one of the three patients evacuated from the vessel on Wednesday morning, according to the Telegraph.

He was airlifted off the ship and is currently in a stable condition at Amsterdam Hospital, after what his wife described as a "very traumatic few days".

The three passengers who have died from the outbreak have been identified as a Dutch couple, aged 70 and 69, and a German national.

More than 20 British passengers are among some 150 trapped on board, stranded off the coast of Cape Verde.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) believes the virus may have spread directly between passengers on board the vessel, which is unusual for a disease typically transmitted through rodent urine, droppings and saliva.

Mr Anstee was evacuated alongside a 41-year-old Dutch man serving as the ship’s doctor and a 65-year-old German passenger.

Speaking to Sky News, the former police officer said: “I’m doing okay. I’m not feeling too bad. There are still lots of tests to be done. I have no idea how long I’ll be in the hospital for. I’m in isolation at the moment.”

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