Deadly ‘rat virus’ spreads on cruise ship after multiple deaths – passengers trapped on board
The cruise ship MV Hondius is currently anchored off the coast of Cape Verde after a suspected hantavirus outbreak turned a remote expedition voyage into a serious medical emergency.
According to the World Health Organization, seven confirmed or suspected cases had been identified as of May 4, 2026, including three deaths, one critically ill patient, and three people with mild symptoms. Two cases have been laboratory-confirmed as hantavirus.
The Dutch-flagged vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, had departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for a South Atlantic itinerary that included remote destinations such as Antarctica, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island. The ship is carrying 147 people from 23 nationalities, including 88 passengers and 59 crew.
The outbreak has raised concern because hantavirus is usually linked to contact with infected rodents, especially their urine, droppings, or saliva. WHO is now investigating whether rare person-to-person transmission may have occurred among close contacts on board.
The first reported deaths involved a Dutch couple, while a third passenger, identified in reports as a German national, also died. A British passenger evacuated to South Africa is critically ill in intensive care.
Cape Verde authorities have not allowed passengers to disembark, and the vessel remains under strict containment measures while health officials coordinate testing, medical care, and possible evacuations. Reuters reported that WHO considers the risk to the wider public low, though investigations into the source and transmission route are continuing.
For now, what began as an expedition cruise through some of the world’s most remote landscapes has become a developing public health case watched closely by international authorities.
