Suspected hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius cruise ship leaves three dead
Investigations into the rodent-transmitted virus are ongoing while health authorities coordinate evacuations in South Africa
Three people have died following a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, an Atlantic cruise vessel currently sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Verde. The World Health Organization confirmed one case of the disease among six affected individuals, with the remaining five classified as suspected infections pending further laboratory results.
The outbreak was initially identified by South African health authorities as a severe acute respiratory illness before hantavirus was confirmed via testing. The National Department of Health in South Africa reported that the first victim, a 70-year-old passenger, died on board. His body is currently being held on the island of Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.
A second fatality occurred after the victim's 69-year-old wife was evacuated to Johannesburg. She subsequently died in a local hospital. A third patient, a 69-year-old British national, remains in intensive care in Johannesburg. Authorities have not yet confirmed the nationalities of the two deceased passengers, though the patient in intensive care has been identified as a British citizen.
The World Health Organization stated that detailed epidemiological investigations and sequencing of the virus are in progress. Hantavirus is a rare disease transmitted to humans through the droppings or urine of infected rodents, capable of causing severe acute respiratory illness and hemorrhagic fever.
Health authorities are facilitating coordination between nations to evacuate two other symptomatic passengers. Medical care and support are being provided to all passengers and crew while the scope of the outbreak is determined through ongoing laboratory testing.
