The MV Hondius, a Dutch expedition ship carrying nearly 150 people, was held offshore near Cape Verde after three passengers died and at least three others became seriously ill in a suspected hantavirus outbreak, public health authorities and the ship’s operator said.
Operated by Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions and on a polar itinerary from Argentina to Antarctica and remote South Atlantic islands, the vessel requested assistance after reaching Cape Verdean waters. The Cape Verde Health Ministry said local authorities would not allow passengers or crew to disembark, citing public health concerns; the ship is to remain in open waters close to shore while authorities respond.
Hantaviruses are zoonotic infections carried by rodents and transmitted through contact with infected animals or their urine, saliva or droppings. The World Health Organization says hantavirus infections are uncommon and, although person-to-person spread is possible in some forms, they are not easily transmitted between people. There is no specific antiviral treatment; early medical care can improve chances of survival.
WHO and Oceanwide said laboratory testing and epidemiological investigations are underway. Oceanwide reported two crew members — one British and one Dutch — with respiratory symptoms who require urgent medical attention. WHO said it is coordinating evacuation plans for the two sick crew and conducting a full public health risk assessment with Cape Verdean authorities and the operator.
A British passenger evacuated from the ship to South Africa on April 27 has tested positive for hantavirus and remains in critical condition in an intensive care unit, officials said. A German passenger’s body is still on board. Earlier in the voyage a 70-year-old Dutch man died aboard on April 11; his 69-year-old wife later died after collapsing at Johannesburg’s main international airport, and her blood tested positive for hantavirus. Those two laboratory-confirmed cases are linked to the voyage.
The Hondius departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1. Argentine provincial health officials said no passengers were symptomatic when the ship left, but Juan Facundo Petrina, director of epidemiology for Tierra del Fuego province, noted hantavirus symptoms can appear up to eight weeks after exposure, so infections could stem from prior exposures ashore. Argentina reported 28 hantavirus deaths nationwide last year and has experienced outbreaks in the past.
Oceanwide said the vessel normally carries up to 170 passengers and about 70 crew, including a doctor. At the time of the Cape Verde hold, there were 87 passengers and 61 crew onboard, including citizens from the United States (17), the U.K. (19) and Spain (13).
Cape Verde dispatched medical teams in multiple trips — two doctors, a nurse and a laboratory specialist — to assess passengers and crew and to prepare for medical evacuations if needed, WHO official Dr. Ann Lindstrand said. Teams have been making arrangements to transfer people by ambulance to airports for evacuation when required. Lindstrand described the situation as “very tricky” for Cape Verdean authorities, who must protect their population while responding to shipboard needs.
Oceanwide said it may seek permission to move the Hondius to Tenerife or Las Palmas in the Canary Islands if evacuations cannot be arranged in Cape Verde. WHO said detailed laboratory and epidemiological work continues and that medical care is being provided onboard. Investigators are also assessing a possible new, mild case reported on the ship.
South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases has begun contact tracing to identify potential exposures linked to the cruise. Health officials have urged calm. WHO regional director Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge said the risk to the wider public remains low and that there is no need for panic or travel restrictions while a coordinated, multicountry response works to contain any further spread.