Three individuals have died and four others have fallen ill on a small Dutch expedition cruise ship, which is thought to be facing a hantavirus outbreak, according to health officials.
The MV Hondius, carrying around 150 passengers including 61 crew and 17 Americans, is currently in lockdown off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic, as reported by Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator.
Hantavirus generally spreads from rodents to humans through contact with feces, saliva, or urine, leading to serious respiratory issues. Person-to-person transmission is quite rare.
Authorities are preparing to evacuate two crew members who are exhibiting symptoms. However, the disembarkation of the remaining passengers, along with their medical evacuation and screening, is pending approval from local health authorities and hasn’t been finalized yet.
The confirmed hantavirus cases involve a British passenger who is currently in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a Dutch woman who passed away after disembarking alongside her husband, who reportedly showed symptoms before his death. The causes of their deaths, as well as that of a German national, remain unconfirmed.
So far, no additional symptomatic individuals have been identified. The ship has implemented isolation measures, hygiene protocols, and medical monitoring as a precautionary step.
The World Health Organization stated that the suspected outbreak does not pose a public health threat and assesses the risk to the global population as “low.”
“There is no need for panic or travel restrictions,” remarked Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe, in a statement.
Here’s a brief overview.
What is hantavirus and how do people get it?
The hantavirus initially captured attention in February 2025 when Betsy Arakawa, the wife of late actor Gene Hackman, reportedly died from a hantavirus infection in New Mexico.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hantaviruses are a “family of viruses that can cause serious illnesses and even death.” Humans can contract hantavirus through contact with rodents—particularly by being around their urine, feces, and saliva. In rare cases, bites or scratches from rodents may also transmit the virus.
In the Americas, these viruses can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe respiratory illness that has a case fatality rate as high as 40%. Early symptoms often include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, with headaches, dizziness, chills, and gastrointestinal issues appearing in half of the patients. Symptoms of HCPS generally manifest between 1 to 8 weeks after exposure to an infected rodent.
Limited human-to-human transmission has been documented with the Andes virus primarily in South America, particularly in Chile and Argentina, where the ship began its journey.
In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses can lead to hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), with symptoms that can develop one to two weeks post-exposure and may encompass intense headaches, abdominal pain, fever, and nausea, among others. Later signs might include low blood pressure and internal bleeding.
A timeline of the MV Hondius’s travel
The MV Hondius set sail from Ushuaia, Argentina, in early April, having been at sea for about seven weeks.
On April 11, a Dutch passenger died on board, although the cause of death couldn’t be established at the time, as stated by Oceanwide Expeditions. Roughly two weeks later, the deceased passenger was disembarked in St. Helena, accompanied by his wife, also from the Netherlands.
On April 27, the operator learned that the wife had become ill on her way home and later died. She tested positive for a hantavirus variant, according to the company.
On the same day, another passenger fell seriously ill and had to be hospitalized in Johannesburg. This British passenger also tested positive for hantavirus.
On May 2, a German passenger died on board, with the cause of death still yet to be determined.
Currently, there are two crew members showing “acute respiratory symptoms”—one mild and the other severe—both requiring urgent medical care, with their medical transfer still pending.
What’s next for the passengers on board?
Passengers aboard the MV Hondius will not be permitted to disembark in Cape Verde due to concerns for the local population, as stated by the country’s health minister, Maria da Luz Lima.
The ship might proceed to Spain’s Canary Islands for next steps. Oceanwide Expeditions noted that “preparations for potential medical repatriation are underway,” and options for sailing to Las Palmas or Tenerife are being considered for further medical screening and arrangements.
