Three dead, three ill on cruise ship in suspected hantavirus outbreak

Cape Town: Three passengers have died and three others have fallen ill after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on board a Netherlands-based cruise ship, according to authorities, the World Health Organisation and company statements cited on Sunday.

Oceanwide Expeditions said in a news release that it was “managing a serious medical situation” on its polar expedition vessel, the MV Hondius, which was off Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic west of Africa.

The company did not publicly identify the illness in its statement. However, the reported cases were linked in media coverage to suspected hantavirus, a rodent-borne virus that can cause severe and sometimes fatal respiratory disease.

Deaths and medical response

A spokesperson for the Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed that two Dutch passengers had died, but did not provide additional details.

The World Health Organisation said in a post on X that one of the sick passengers was in intensive care in South Africa. According to Sky News, which cited South Africa’s Department of Health, that patient is British.

WHO said it was informed by South Africa’s National International Health Regulations Focal Point about a suspected outbreak of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome involving passengers from the ship.

The UN health agency said the vessel had departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on March 17 and was carrying 173 passengers and crew. It said the ship had travelled to Antarctica and nearby islands before heading north.

According to media reports, the cruise left Argentina about three weeks ago with around 150 passengers and stopped in the Antarctic and other locations on its way to Cape Verde. The figures reported by WHO and media reports differ.

About the virus

Hantavirus is typically spread to humans through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva. The virus does not usually spread between people, though some strains have been associated with limited person-to-person transmission.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a severe respiratory illness that can begin with fever, muscle aches and fatigue before progressing to coughing and shortness of breath. Health authorities have said it can be fatal.

WHO said it was investigating the situation and monitoring developments with national authorities.

Oceanwide Expeditions has not released further details on the condition of the remaining passengers or the precise cause of the illnesses beyond saying it was dealing with a serious medical situation on board.

The MV Hondius is operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, a Netherlands-based company that runs polar expedition cruises.