Life on board £35,000 Atlantic cruise ship struck by rat-borne hantavirus

Trapped at sea, passengers on the MV Hondious face an agonising eight-week wait to learn if they have contracted a deadly rat-borne virus, with three fatalities already confirmed and a British man critically ill.According to several online ship-tracking sites, the ship has been stuck off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde for at least 24 hours with the situation showing no signs of resolving soon.A statement from cruise firm Oceanwide Expeditions issued on Sunday night stated that 'no authorization' has been granted from Cape Verdean authorities to allow those requiring medical care to disembark.The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed six suspected cases of a hantavirus infection on the MV Hondius, which was travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde in Africa.