Health authorities are racing to contain a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard an Atlantic cruise ship after three people died and several others required urgent medical care. The World Health Organization confirmed that at least one case has been verified, with investigations now underway to determine the full extent of the spread.
Hantaviruses exist in multiple forms around the world, each capable of causing different symptoms. While infections are typically linked to contact with infected rodents or their droppings or by inhaling contaminated dust the WHO noted that rare cases of human‑to‑human transmission have been documented. There is no specific cure, but early medical intervention can significantly improve survival.
The virus drew global attention last year when Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, died from a hantavirus infection in the United States. Hackman died a week later from unrelated heart disease.
The latest suspected outbreak occurred aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch‑flagged expedition vessel carrying around 150 passengers and 70 crew members. The ship had departed Argentina weeks earlier, visiting Antarctica and the Falkland Islands before crossing the Atlantic. Passengers began falling ill mid‑voyage.
A 70‑year‑old man was the first to die, with his body removed in Saint Helena. His wife collapsed at a South African airport shortly afterward and later died in hospital. A British passenger was evacuated from Ascension Island to Johannesburg, where they remain in intensive care.
The ship is now anchored off Cape Verde, where authorities have not yet allowed anyone to disembark. Two symptomatic crew members remain onboard awaiting medical evacuation. The body of the third victim is still on the vessel.
WHO teams, along with South African and Cape Verdean health officials, are conducting laboratory testing, epidemiological tracing and virus sequencing to determine how the outbreak began and whether more passengers may have been exposed.
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