Watch: Passengers told virus-hit ship 'not infectious' after first death

A video filmed by a passenger on board the MV Hondius shows its captain saying that a man who had died there passed away due to "natural causes".

The captain aboard the hantavirus-hit cruise ship can be seen telling passengers on 12 April that a doctor had said the individual was "not infectious".

Three confirmed and five suspected cases of hantavirus - a rare but severe disease usually spread by rodents - have since been identified.

Turkish YouTuber Ruhi Çenet, who was on board the cruise ship and filmed the announcement, told the BBC that no immediate safety precautions were taken at the time.

Around 150 people from 23 countries are currently stranded on the vessel near Cape Verde, off the west coast of Africa.

Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise ship operator, said in a statement issued on Thursday: "The safety and well-being of all passengers and crew is our utmost priority. At the time of the first death on 11 April, the cause of death was unknown and there was no evidence of a virus or contagion on board MV Hondius."

It was thought the death was an "isolated" case "following medical review", the statement continued, adding: "Proper procedure was followed in informing all guests and crew aboard MV Hondius. Health and safety, and maritime standards regarding the proper management and reporting of a death at sea, were strictly followed."

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