Urgent Search for Port After Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship
Health officials are racing to find a port for the MV Hondius cruise ship, where a suspected hantavirus outbreak has resulted in three deaths and two critically ill crew members requiring urgent evacuation. The ship is currently off the coast of Cape Verde in the central Atlantic Ocean, with passengers and crew in isolation after authorities banned the vessel from docking.
The World Health Organization confirmed that the ship will head to Spain's Canary Islands, but no port will authorize docking until on-board data is fully analyzed. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO epidemic and pandemic preparedness director, stated that the immediate priority is evacuating two crew members for urgent medical care, possibly to the Netherlands, before the ship can move.
Confirmed Cases and Fatalities
According to the WHO, two cases of hantavirus have been confirmed, along with five other suspected cases among the 147 people on board. Three individuals have died: one critically ill patient remains, and three others show mild symptoms. Two of the deceased and one sick person had left the ship, including a woman who flew to Johannesburg on April 26 before succumbing to the illness. Authorities are now tracing her contacts on the flight.
Among the first fatalities were a Dutch couple: the husband died on April 11, and his wife died after disembarking on April 24 in Saint Helena, suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms that worsened during a flight to Johannesburg. The WHO believes the couple were infected before boarding due to the incubation period.
Potential Human-to-Human Transmission
Hantavirus is typically spread through infected rodents, but human-to-human transmission has been documented, particularly with the Andes virus strain originating in South America. The WHO has not yet confirmed the virus species on the ship, but sequencing is underway in South Africa. Van Kerkhove noted, "Our working assumption is that it is the Andes virus," and added that "there may be some human-to-human transmission happening among close contacts."
This outbreak recalls the February 2025 death of Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hackman himself died shortly after from heart disease.
Passengers and Crew Affected
The MV Hondius carries passengers from the U.K., Spain, the U.S., and four Canadians, among 23 nationalities. Crew members from the Philippines are also on board. The ship's operator reported that a British passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg, while the two crew members needing urgent evacuation are British and Dutch. The WHO assesses the global risk from this outbreak as low.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation, emphasizing that no port will accept the ship until a thorough risk assessment is completed.
