Three People Die in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship

Mon, 04 May 2026 05:14:00 +0200

A suspected outbreak of hantavirus aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius in the Atlantic Ocean has resulted in three deaths and at least three illnesses, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and South Africa’s Department of Health. The victims include an elderly couple and a British passenger who became seriously ill and is currently in intensive care in Johannesburg. Two other crew members remain on the ship with severe symptoms and are awaiting medical transfer in Cape Verde. The cruise, which departed Argentina about three weeks ago, included stops in Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island, with around 150 passengers and 70 crew members on board. Hantaviruses, mainly transmitted through rodent urine or feces, can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, both severe illnesses. While person-to-person transmission is rare, WHO is conducting further laboratory and epidemiological investigations, inc