Three people are dead, one British man is in intensive care, and two crew members reportedly require medical attention after an outbreak of a deadly hantavirus has rocked an Atlantic cruise ship.
It had been smooth sailing as the MV Hondius set out from Argentina’s Ushuaia to Cape Verde, but things soon took a tragic turn. While the travel-loving passengers of the Dutch-operated liner took in the views of several remote Atlantic islands, the crew were alerted to a potential emergency when one passenger developed symptoms.
Reports spread that three were dead, and there were five more cases, with the World Health Organization quickly releasing a statement confirming the three deaths and that one is in intensive care in South Africa.
The full statement explained that the WHO was supporting a 'public health event', with at least one case of hantavirus being confirmed in a lab: "Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations.
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"Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing."
As well as coordinating the medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, it vowed to carry out a full public health risk assessment to ensure the safety of others on board.
What is hantavirus?
According to the BBC, a 70-year-old man fell ill with a fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea. He sadly passed away when he arrived on the island of St Helena, which is a British territory in the South Atlantic. The second victim was the man's 69-year-old wife, after she was rushed to a Johannesburg hospital, while the third is also believed to be a Dutch national.
As the WHO reminds us, hantavirus is typically linked to environmental exposure to the urine or feces of infected rodents. Although hantavirus is rare, it can be spread between people and lead to severe respiratory illness or even death.
First discovered in 1978 in South Korea, Dr. Ho-Wang Lee identified the Hantaan virus as the cause of Korean Hemorrhagic Fever. Although this was the first official isolation, related illnesses were documented when the Korean War started in 1951. The American Sin Nombre virus strain was first identified in 1993.
The CDC states that hantaviruses are split into two syndromes. The ones found in the Western Hemisphere are linked to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and are spread by the deer mouse.
Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a clinically similar illness that is caused by hantaviruses from Europe and Asia. Then again, the Seoul virus that causes HFRS is found around the world.
What are the symptoms of hantavirus?
In terms of hantavirus symptoms, the CDC puts the symptoms of hantavirus into two categories. HPS is listed as a "severe and potentially deadly disease that affects the lungs," with concerning symptoms that include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches that usually affect large muscle groups like the thighs, hips, back, and shoulders.
Around half of those suffering from HPS will also experience headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal problems that include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. 38% of those who develop respiratory problems may die from HPS.
HFRS symptoms extend to intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and blurred vision. Later symptoms include low blood pressure, internal bleeding, and acute kidney failure. Mortality is based on which virus is causing the infection, with Hantaan and Dobrava virus infections being between 5-15% fatal, compared to Seoul, Saaremaa, and Puumala virus infections seeing less than 1% dying.
Hantavirus was brought to the attention of the world in February 2025, when it was connected to the death of Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa. Investigators suggest that Arakawa contracted HPS, with nests and dead rodents found in outbuildings. It was also found that the wife of the Oscar-winning actor had searched for symptoms relating to flu and COVID-19 in the days before she died.
As for the MV Hondius, Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles warned the BBC that exposure to hantavirus and people's symptoms could be between one and eight weeks: "With this incubation period are we going to see more people coming down with the disease in the next days and weeks?"
Of course, this leads to questions about whether the passengers on the MV Hondius can be evacuated. The WHO is working with operator Oceanwide Expeditions on the next steps.