Three people have died and at least three others have been hospitalised following a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, with the World Health Organization confirming an investigation is under way.
The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, a polar expedition vessel operated by Dutch tour company Oceanwide Expeditions, which was travelling between Argentina and Cape Verde. A Dutch couple aged 70 and 69 are among the dead, along with a third unidentified person still aboard the ship. The man died on the island of Saint Helena, while his wife passed away at a hospital in Kempton Park, South Africa.
A British man, 69, who fell ill aboard the ship has tested positive for hantavirus and is receiving treatment at a private health facility in Johannesburg. Two further symptomatic passengers remain aboard the vessel and require urgent medical evacuation, though Cape Verdean authorities had not yet granted authorisation to disembark those needing care as of Sunday evening.
The WHO confirmed at least one case of hantavirus has been laboratory-verified, with virus sequencing ongoing. One patient is in intensive care in South Africa.
Hantavirus is typically contracted through contact with the urine or faeces of infected rodents and can cause severe pulmonary or kidney disease. While human-to-human transmission is rare, it is possible.
Oceanwide Expeditions said it was working closely with Dutch authorities, who have agreed to lead repatriation efforts for the two symptomatic passengers and the deceased. The WHO said it was facilitating coordination between national health authorities and the ship’s operators to organise the medical evacuation.
The MV Hondius can accommodate around 170 passengers and carries 70 crew. The voyage itinerary includes stops at South Georgia and Saint Helena, departing from Ushuaia in Argentina and concluding in Cape Verde.
The UK Foreign Office said it was monitoring the situation and in contact with the cruise company and local authorities.
