Hantavirus Suspected in Three Deaths on Dutch Cruise Ship Off West Africa

Key facts

• Three passengers have died: a 70-year-old Dutch man, his 69-year-old wife, and a German national.
• A British man is in intensive care in a South African hospital after testing positive for hantavirus.
• The MV Hondius has 88 passengers and 61 crew members on board, including 17 Americans.
• The ship left Argentina three weeks ago for a polar cruise to Antarctica and the Falkland Islands.
• Cape Verde authorities have not allowed the vessel to dock in Praia.
• WHO says the risk to the wider public remains low and there is no need for travel restrictions.

Three Dead, Several Ill in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak

A suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a Dutch cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has killed three people and sickened at least three others, the World Health Organization and South Africa's Department of Health said Sunday. The MV Hondius, a polar-class vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, is now anchored off the coast of Cape Verde, an island nation off West Africa, after requesting medical assistance. Local authorities have not allowed anyone to disembark, the company said. The first victim, a 70-year-old Dutch man, died on board on April 11. His body was removed nearly two weeks later in the British territory of Saint Helena, some 1,200 miles off the African coast. His 69-year-old wife was transferred to South Africa at the same time but collapsed at Johannesburg's airport and died at a nearby hospital.

Confirmation and Evacuations Underway

WHO confirmed at least one case of hantavirus: a British man who fell ill near Ascension Island and was evacuated to South Africa on April 27. He is in critical condition and isolated in intensive care at a Johannesburg hospital. The U.N. health agency is working with authorities to evacuate two other symptomatic individuals from the ship. The Dutch foreign ministry said it is exploring possibilities for medical evacuation and will coordinate if it proceeds. A third passenger, a German national, died on board on Saturday. His body remains on the ship. The cruise operator stressed that only the British man's case has been confirmed as hantavirus; the other deaths are still under investigation.

Passengers and Crew in Limbo

The MV Hondius carries 88 passengers and 61 crew members, including 17 Americans, 19 from the United Kingdom, and 13 from Spain, among other nationalities. Two sick crew members require urgent medical care, the company said. Cape Verde health officials said Monday the situation is under control and poses no risk to people on land, but they will not let the vessel dock at the port of Praia, the capital. The ship had left Argentina about three weeks ago for a cruise that included visits to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and other stops, with a final destination of Spain's Canary Islands.

What Is Hantavirus?

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 cause two serious 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, WHO said. There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can improve survival chances. The virus gained attention after the late actor Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from a hantavirus infection in New Mexico last year. Hackman died about a week later from heart disease.

Investigations and Next Steps

WHO is supporting a public health event involving the cruise vessel, with detailed investigations ongoing, including further laboratory testing, epidemiological investigations, and virus sequencing. South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases is conducting contact tracing in the Johannesburg region to identify others who may have been exposed. WHO's regional director for Europe, Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, said Monday that the risk to the wider public remains low and there is no need for panic or travel restrictions. The ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, is working with local authorities to arrange medical evacuations and determine the next steps for the vessel and its remaining passengers and crew.

The bottom line

• Three people have died and at least three others are ill in a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius off West Africa.
• Only one case, a British man in intensive care in South Africa, has been confirmed as hantavirus.
• The ship, with 149 people on board, is stranded off Cape Verde, which has refused docking.
• Hantavirus is a rare rodent-borne disease with no specific treatment; early medical care is critical.
• WHO says the public risk is low and no travel restrictions are needed.