Hantavirus Outbreak on Polar Cruise Ship Kills Three, Sickens Five

Key facts

• Three people have died, including a Dutch couple aged 70 and 69.
• A 69-year-old British national is in intensive care in Johannesburg with confirmed hantavirus.
• Two crew members on board require urgent medical evacuation but have not been allowed to disembark in Cape Verde.
• The MV Hondius departed Ushuaia, Argentina on 20 March and was due to arrive in Cape Verde on 4 May.
• The ship carries approximately 150 tourists, 57 crew, 13 guides, and one doctor.
• One confirmed hantavirus case and five suspected cases are under investigation by WHO.
• The first victim died on the ship; his body was removed in Saint Helena. His wife collapsed at an airport in South Africa and died at a hospital.
• South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases is conducting contact tracing in Johannesburg.

Three Dead, Five Ill in Rare Hantavirus Outbreak on Atlantic Cruise

A suspected outbreak of hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius, a polar cruise ship operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, has killed three people and sickened at least five others, the World Health Organization and South Africa's Department of Health confirmed on Sunday. The vessel, carrying around 150 tourists from various countries, is anchored off the coast of Cape Verde, an island nation off West Africa, where local authorities have refused permission for anyone to disembark. The first victim, a 70-year-old Dutch man, died on the ship after suddenly developing fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. His body was removed in the British territory of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. His wife, aged 69, collapsed at an airport in South Africa while trying to board a flight to the Netherlands and died at a nearby hospital. A third fatality, also Dutch, remains on board, according to a source cited by AFP.

British National in Critical Condition; Evacuations Under Way

A 69-year-old British national is in intensive care in a Johannesburg hospital after testing positive for hantavirus, South African health officials said. The patient fell ill near Ascension Island, another remote Atlantic island, after the ship left Saint Helena, and was transferred from there to South Africa. The World Health Organization said it is working with authorities to evacuate two other symptomatic passengers from the ship, while the Dutch foreign ministry is coordinating a medical evacuation for a few individuals. "Dutch authorities have agreed to lead a joint effort to organise the repatriation of the two symptomatic individuals on board MV Hondius from Cape Verde to the Netherlands," Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement. However, Cape Verdean health officials said Monday the situation is under control and poses no risk to people on land, but they will not allow the vessel to dock at the port of the capital, Praia.

Ship's Itinerary and Timeline of the Outbreak

The MV Hondius, a 107.6-metre (353-foot) polar cruise ship with space for 170 passengers in 80 cabins, departed Ushuaia in southern Argentina on 20 March. The three-week cruise included visits to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and other stops, and was due to end in Spain's Canary Islands on the other side of the Atlantic, with a scheduled arrival in Cape Verde on 4 May. The ship is Dutch-flagged and operated by Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions. the first death occurred on the ship before it reached Saint Helena. The man's wife was evacuated to South Africa, where she died. The British national fell ill near Ascension Island after the ship left Saint Helena and was airlifted to Johannesburg. The ship continued to Cape Verde, where it now sits anchored off Praia.

WHO Confirms One Case; Investigations Ongoing

The World Health Organization said in a statement that at least one case of hantavirus has been confirmed, with five more suspected cases under investigation. "Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations. Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing," the organization said. The WHO's regional director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, said Monday that "the risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or travel restrictions." Hantaviruses are a family of viruses found throughout the world, spread mainly by contact with the urine or feces of infected rodents such as rats and mice. They cause two serious syndromes: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory disease, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which affects the kidneys. While rare, human-to-human transmission is possible.re, but early medical attention can improve survival chances.

Contact Tracing Under Way in South Africa; Crew Members Await Evacuation

South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases is conducting contact tracing in the Johannesburg region to identify whether other people were exposed to the infected passengers in South Africa. Meanwhile, two crew members on board the MV Hondius require urgent medical care, but Cape Verdean authorities have not granted permission for them to disembark. Oceanwide Expeditions said it is in close consultation with local health authorities to coordinate disembarkation and medical screening of all guests. The Dutch foreign ministry confirmed it is "busy looking at the possibilities to medically evacuate a few people from the ship." If the evacuation takes place, the ministry will coordinate it, a spokesperson said. The company also confirmed that efforts are under way to repatriate the body of the third victim, along with a guest "closely associated" with them.

Rare Virus Gains Attention After Recent High-Profile Death

Hantavirus gained international attention after the late actor Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus infection in New Mexico last year. Hackman died around a week later at their home from heart disease. The virus, while rare, has a significant fatality rate and can cause severe respiratory or kidney disease. The current outbreak on the MV Hondius is one of the few known instances of hantavirus affecting a large group of people on a cruise ship, raising questions about how the virus might have spread among passengers and crew.

Outlook: Low Public Risk but Questions Remain

Health authorities have stressed that the risk to the wider public remains low, and there are no plans for travel restrictions. However, the investigation is ongoing, and the source of the outbreak has not yet been identified. The ship's itinerary included stops in remote areas where rodent exposure may have occurred, but no definitive link has been established. The WHO is conducting sequencing of the virus to understand its origin and potential for further spread. As the MV Hondius remains anchored off Cape Verde, the immediate priority is the medical evacuation of the two symptomatic crew members and the repatriation of the deceased. For the 150 tourists and crew on board, the wait continues, with no clear timeline for when they will be allowed to disembark. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks posed by rare zoonotic diseases, even in the controlled environment of a modern cruise ship.

The bottom line

• Three people have died and five others are ill in a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic.
• A 69-year-old British national is in intensive care in Johannesburg with confirmed hantavirus.
• The ship is anchored off Cape Verde, which has denied permission for anyone to disembark, while Dutch authorities coordinate medical evacuations.
• WHO has confirmed one case and is investigating five suspected cases; the risk to the wider public is considered low.
• Hantavirus is spread by rodents, has no specific treatment, and can be fatal without early medical care.
• South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases is conducting contact tracing in Johannesburg.