Three passengers have died and three other people are being treated amid a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, health officials said.
The rodent-borne illness was confirmed in one case and is suspected in five others, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement Sunday.
The WHO said detailed investigations aboard the MV Hondius ship, travelling from Argentina to Cape Verde, are ongoing, including further laboratory testing and epidemiological investigations. The virus is also being sequenced.
Two of the people who died were identified as a Dutch couple, a man aged 70 and a woman aged 69.
The man died on arrival on the island of St. Helena. The woman, who also became ill on board, was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital, South African Health Ministry spokesperson Foster Mohale said in a statement to Global News.
“In our view, there is no need for the public to panic because only two patients from the cruise ship have been within our borders. The World Health Organization is coordinating a multi-country response with all affected islands and countries to contain further spread of the disease,” Mohale added.
“On 27 April, another passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa. This person is currently being treated in the intensive care unit in Johannesburg and is in a critical but stable condition. This passenger is of British nationality. A variant of hantavirus has been identified in this patient,” Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch company that operates the cruise ship, said in a press release.
“On 2 May, another passenger on board died. The cause has not yet been established. This passenger was of German nationality.”
In addition, two crew members are currently on board the ship with acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe, the company said.
“Both require urgent medical care. These crew members are of British and Dutch nationality. At this time, no other persons with symptoms have been identified,” the company added.
Global News has reached out to Oceanwide Expeditions for further comment, but has not received a response.
South Africa’s Department of Health said the ship had left Argentina around three weeks ago for a cruise that included visits to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and other stops. It was due to ultimately head to Spain’s Canary Islands on the other side of the Atlantic.
“Oceanwide Expeditions is still dealing with a serious medical situation on board the m/v Hondius, which is currently off the coast of Cape Verde,” Oceanwide Expeditions said in the press release. “The vessel remains off the coast of Cape Verde. There are 149 people on board, representing 23 different nationalities.
“The disembarkation of passengers, medical evacuation and medical screening require permission from, and coordination with, the local health authorities. Local health authorities have visited the vessel and assessed the situation. The medical transfer of the two ill persons on board has not yet taken place. Oceanwide Expeditions is working closely with local and international authorities, including the WHO, the RIVM, relevant embassies and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
Strict precautionary measures are in place on board, including isolation measures, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring. All passengers have been informed and are being supported, the company added.
Hantavirus is mainly spread by contact with rodents or their urine, saliva or droppings, particularly when the material is disturbed and becomes airborne, posing a risk of inhalation, according to the government of Canada.
People are typically exposed to hantavirus around their homes, cabins or sheds, especially when cleaning out enclosed spaces with little ventilation or exploring areas where there are mouse droppings.
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People can also get the virus from infected mice, rats and other rodents.
“For this reason, it is best to avoid close contact with rodents in Canada and abroad,” the Canadian government notes.
The WHO says that while it rarely happens, hantaviruses can also spread directly between people.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began tracking the virus after a 1993 outbreak in the Four Corners region — the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome became a nationally notifiable disease in 1995 and is now reported through the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System when fever is present in a patient with laboratory-confirmed evidence of hantavirus infection, according to the CDC.
An infection can rapidly progress and become life-threatening. Symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome usually show between one and eight weeks after contact with an infected rodent. As the infection progresses, patients might experience tightness in the chest as the lungs fill with fluid.
The other syndrome caused by hantavirus — hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome — usually develops within a week or two after exposure.
Death rates vary based on which hantavirus causes the illness. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is fatal in about 35 per cent of people infected, while the death rate for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome varies from one per cent to 15 per cent of patients, according to the CDC.
There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can increase the chance of survival.
The best way to avoid the germ is to minimize contact with rodents and their droppings. Use protective gloves and a bleach solution for cleaning up rodent droppings. Public health experts caution against sweeping or vacuuming, which can cause virus particles to get into the air.
As of the end of 2023, 890 cases of hantavirus disease had been reported in the United States since surveillance began in 1993.
Since 1989, there have been 109 confirmed cases and 27 deaths in Canada due to a hantavirus infection, the government of Canada reports.
What the World Health Organization says
The WHO released a statement on Sunday saying it is “aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean.”
“To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases. Of the six individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa,” the WHO said.
Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing and epidemiological investigations, the organization said.
“Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing,” the statement added.
“Hantavirus infections are typically linked to environmental exposure (exposure to infected rodents’ urine and faeces). While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response.
“WHO is facilitating coordination between Member States and the Ship’s operators for medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, as well as full public health risk assessment and support to the remaining passengers on board. WHO is grateful for the rapid actions and coordination.”
The WHO has informed National Focus Points according to international health regulations and a disease outbreak news update for the public will be issued.
Other known cases of hantavirus
Hantavirus made headlines last year after the deaths of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, in February.
Arakawa died in February 2025 of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, investigators have said. Hackman is believed to have died about a week later of heart disease, with complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
The partially mummified remains of Hackman, 95, and Arakawa, 65, were found in their Santa Fe, N.M., home Feb. 26, when maintenance and security workers arrived at the house and alerted police.
An environmental assessment of the property by state health personnel found rodent feces in three garages and two smaller guest homes, along with live traps on the property. There was no evidence of rodent activity inside the home.
According to the lengthy investigation report, a review of Arakawa’s computer showed she was actively researching medical conditions related to COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms between Feb. 8 and the morning of Feb. 12. The searches included questions about whether COVID-19 could cause dizziness or nosebleeds. She also ordered oxygen canisters from Amazon for “respiratory support.”
“This data suggests that Betsy was actively researching medical conditions related to COVID-19 and flu-like symptoms in the days leading up to her death,” the report stated.
On March 25, authorities released body camera footage from outside the Hackman home and officers were seen arriving at the scene for the first time and speaking with two maintenance workers who alerted authorities after discovering a body lying face down through a window.
“Something is not right. Something is not right,” one of the workers said to officers in the footage.
“My concern is a carbon monoxide issue,” an officer said after looking through the window of the home.
Authorities soon determined there were no leaks that could have been fatal, further fuelling a mystery that captured the public’s attention.
In a previous statement, Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and granddaughter Annie said, “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
— with files from The Associated Press
