Three Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Dutch Cruise Ship Off Cape Verde

A Dutch cruise ship, the MV Hondius, remains anchored off the coast of Cape Verde as authorities respond to a suspected hantavirus outbreak that has killed three passengers and sickened at least three others. The World Health Organization confirmed one laboratory-tested case of hantavirus, with five additional suspected cases.

The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was on a multi-week voyage from Argentina through Antarctica and South Atlantic islands. The outbreak began with a 70-year-old Dutch man who died onboard near Saint Helena, presenting symptoms of fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

His 69-year-old wife died in a South African hospital after being evacuated. A British man, evacuated from Ascension Island, tested positive for hantavirus and remains in critical condition in intensive care in South Africa.

The third fatality's identity has not been disclosed, and the body remains on the ship. Two crew members onboard require urgent medical care, according to Oceanwide Expeditions. Local health authorities in Cape Verde have assessed the situation but have not yet approved disembarkation or evacuation to protect the population.

The World Health Organization is coordinating with local authorities and the ship's operators for a full risk assessment, including laboratory testing and epidemiological investigations. Medical support is being provided to passengers and crew, and virus sequencing is underway.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry is exploring evacuation options for some individuals.

“While severe in some cases, it is not easily transmitted between people. The risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or travel restrictions.”

South Africa's Department of Health reported that the ship left Ushuaia in Argentina for a cruise including visits to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia. Contact tracing is ongoing in Johannesburg, where the Dutch woman collapsed at an airport. No further spread has been reported in South Africa.

Hantavirus is a rodent-borne virus spread through contact with infected feces, urine, or saliva, or rarely through bites. It does not typically spread person-to-person, though limited evidence exists for one strain in South America. Infections are rare in humans and often linked to agricultural or enclosed spaces with rodents.

There are two main syndromes: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), common in the Americas, affecting the lungs with a 35-40% mortality rate; and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), more prevalent in Europe and Asia, affecting kidneys with a 1-15% mortality rate.

Symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, and can progress to respiratory failure or kidney damage. The first victim died from fatal hemorrhagic fever, but officials have not specified the syndrome for all cases. Incubation can last one to eight weeks, complicating tracing.

Possible sources include rodent contamination on the ship, land-based exposure during excursions, or less likely, person-to-person transmission.

“New world hantaviruses cause really rapidly progressive pulmonary syndrome and respiratory failure.”

No specific treatment exists; care focuses on supportive measures like oxygen, ventilation, and hydration. Early hospital admission improves survival chances. In 2025, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome caused the death of Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, in New Mexico.

To reduce risk, experts recommend trapping rodents, disinfecting nests, and avoiding disturbance of droppings in enclosed spaces. The virus is more common west of the Mississippi River in the U.S., carried by deer mice, with other rodents as carriers in different regions.

A previous hantavirus outbreak in southern Argentina in 2019 killed nine people and led to quarantine measures. The current incident has prompted multicountry coordination to contain spread, with no reported cases beyond the ship and evacuees. Authorities emphasize the low risk to the public, with no need for travel restrictions.

Investigations continue to identify the exact source and prevent further infections.