Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak Suspected on Atlantic Cruise Ship, Three Dead and Several Ill

A luxury cruise ship sailing through the Atlantic has been struck by a suspected outbreak of the rare and dangerous hantavirus, killing three people including an elderly married couple and leaving at least three others seriously ill, according to the World Health Organization and South Africa’s Department of Health.

WHO confirmed that at least one case of hantavirus has been verified, with one patient now in intensive care in Johannesburg. Two additional symptomatic individuals remain onboard the vessel as authorities work urgently to arrange medical evacuation. The ship, operated by a Dutch company, is currently anchored off Cape Verde, where local officials have not yet permitted anyone to disembark.

Hantaviruses, typically spread through contact with infected rodents, are known to cause severe respiratory and kidney-related illnesses. While human‑to‑human transmission is rare, WHO noted that it is possible. There is no specific cure, making early medical intervention critical.

The outbreak unfolded aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch‑flagged polar expedition ship that departed Argentina three weeks ago, visiting Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and other remote destinations. It was en route to Spain’s Canary Islands when passengers began falling ill.

The first victim, a 70‑year‑old man, died onboard and his body was removed in Saint Helena. His wife collapsed shortly afterward at a South African airport while attempting to return to the Netherlands and later died in hospital. A British passenger was airlifted from Ascension Island to South Africa and remains in critical condition.

Roughly 150 tourists and around 70 crew members were on the ship at the time of the outbreak. The body of the third victim remains onboard in Cape Verde as authorities assess next steps. Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise operator, said its priority is securing urgent medical care for the two crew members still suffering from symptoms.

WHO and national health agencies are conducting extensive laboratory testing, epidemiological tracing and virus sequencing to determine how the outbreak began and whether more passengers may have been exposed.