Three dead in suspected hantavirus outbreak on Dutch cruise ship off West Africa

Key facts

• Three people have died, including a Dutch couple aged 70 and 69.
• One confirmed and five suspected hantavirus cases aboard the MV Hondius.
• A 69-year-old British national is in intensive care in Johannesburg.
• The ship left Ushuaia, Argentina, three weeks ago for a polar cruise.
• The vessel is anchored off Praia, Cape Verde; no one has been allowed to disembark.
• Hantavirus is spread by contact with rodent urine or feces.
• The ship carries about 150 passengers and 70 crew members.
• The first victim died near Saint Helena; his body was removed there.

A fatal voyage across the South Atlantic

A suspected outbreak of hantavirus on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius has killed three people and left at least three others seriously ill, the World Health Organization and South Africa's Department of Health said Sunday. The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is now 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, developed fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea while the ship was near the British territory of Saint Helena, some 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) off the African coast. He died aboard, and his body was taken off the vessel there. His 69-year-old wife was evacuated to South Africa but collapsed at Johannesburg's airport and died at a nearby hospital.

A second death and a critical patient

The ship then sailed to Ascension Island, another remote Atlantic outpost about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) north of Saint Helena, where a British man was taken off. He later tested positive for hantavirus and is now in intensive care in a Johannesburg hospital, kept in isolation. South Africa's Department of Health identified him as a 69-year-old British national. The third fatality, also Dutch, has not been publicly identified; the body remains on the ship.wo crew members require urgent medical care, but Cape Verdean authorities have not authorized their evacuation.

WHO confirms one case, investigates five more

The World Health Organization said at least one case of hantavirus has been confirmed through laboratory testing, with five additional suspected cases under investigation. "Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations," the WHO stated. "Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing." South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases is conducting contact tracing in the Johannesburg region to identify whether other people were exposed to infected passengers who traveled through South Africa.

A polar cruise turned medical emergency

The MV Hondius, a 107.6-meter (353-foot) polar-class vessel, departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina about three weeks ago. The itinerary included visits to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and other isolated South Atlantic islands before heading to Spain's Canary Islands. The ship typically carries up to 170 passengers in 80 cabins, along with 57 crew members, 13 guides and one doctor, though about 150 tourists were aboard at the time of the outbreak. the ship was docked in Praia, Cape Verde's capital, on Sunday night. The Dutch foreign ministry said it was "busy looking at the possibilities to medically evacuate a few people from the ship," and would coordinate any evacuation.

A rare but deadly pathogen

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses found worldwide, spread mainly through contact with the urine or feces of infected rodents such as rats and mice. They can cause two severe syndromes: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which affects the lungs, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which affects the kidneys. While rare, human-to-human transmission is possible, the WHO said. There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can improve survival chances. The disease gained public attention after the death of Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, from hantavirus infection in New Mexico last year.

Low risk to public, authorities say

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." Cape Verdean health officials also stated the situation is under control and poses no risk to people on land, but they will not allow the vessel to dock at Praia's port. Oceanwide Expeditions said it is "dealing with a serious medical situation" and is in close consultation with local health authorities regarding disembarkation and medical screening of all guests. The company confirmed that two crew members need urgent care but have not yet been allowed to leave the ship.

Open questions and next steps

It remains unclear when the three victims died. A marine traffic website indicated the ship left Ascension Island on April 27 for Cape Verde, about 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) north. The WHO is working with authorities to evacuate two other passengers with symptoms from the ship. The Dutch foreign ministry is exploring medical evacuation options, but no timeline has been given. The bodies of the deceased await repatriation, and the ship's passengers and crew remain in limbo off the coast of West Africa as health officials race to contain the outbreak.

The bottom line

• Three people died in a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, with one confirmed case and five suspected.
• The ship remains anchored off Cape Verde; local authorities have denied disembarkation.
• A British national is in intensive care in Johannesburg; two crew members need urgent medical evacuation.
• Hantavirus is spread by rodents; there is no specific treatment, but early care improves survival.
• WHO and South African health officials are investigating and conducting contact tracing.
• The outbreak occurred on a polar cruise that began in Argentina three weeks ago.