Sick British crew member to be urgently evacuated as hantavirus-hit cruise ship heads to Canary Islands

There have been seven suspected cases of hantavirus onboard the MV Hondius, including three people who have died. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

A British crew member who became ill after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a luxury cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean will be medically evacuated, as the World Health Organization (WHO) said rare human-to-human spread of the deadly virus may have occurred on the vessel.

The crew member is being prepared for medical evacuation from the MV Hondius along with a Dutch colleague, with Dutch authorities overseeing the operation.