Suspected hantavirus outbreak on Atlantic cruise ship leaves three dead
A suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has resulted in three deaths, with one confirmed case and five suspected.
The ship was traveling from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Verde, stopping at places like South Georgia and Saint Helena, when the outbreak occurred. The first symptoms appeared in a 70-year-old passenger who died on board; his 69-year-old spouse (possibly Dutch) died after evacuation to Johannesburg, South Africa. A third death occurred on the vessel, while a 69-year-old British national remains in intensive care there, confirmed positive for hantavirus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is coordinating with authorities for evacuations, including two symptomatic passengers potentially to Cape Verde. South Africa’s health department and the UK’s Foreign Office are assisting, with ongoing lab tests, virus sequencing, and epidemiological probes. The ship, carrying about 170 passengers and 70 crew, was near Cape Verde’s Praia port as of May 3, 2026.
Hantavirus typically spreads via contact with infected rodents’ urine, droppings, or saliva, causing severe respiratory illness like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Human-to-human transmission is rare. No further spread or updates beyond May 3 reports are confirmed as of now.
