Three people have died and three more are unwell after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus aboard the Netherlands-based polar expedition ship MV Hondius, authorities and company statements said. The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic when the medical emergency was reported.
Oceanwide Expeditions said in a news release it was "managing a serious medical situation" on board. The cruise left Argentina about three weeks ago with around 150 passengers aboard and made stops in the Antarctic and other locations on its route toward Cape Verde, media reports said.
A spokesperson for the Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed that two Dutch passengers had died, but provided no further details on the victims. In total, three passengers have died and three remain ill, consistent with the six people reported as affected.
The World Health Organization said in a post on X that one of the sick passengers was in intensive care in South Africa. Sky News reported that this patient is British, citing South Africa's Department of Health. WHO added that it is investigating the incident. Laboratory testing has confirmed hantavirus in one of the six people involved, the agency said.
Oceanwide Expeditions said Cape Verde authorities had not given permission for passengers requiring medical care to disembark. Dutch authorities were working to arrange repatriation for two symptomatic passengers as well as the body of one deceased passenger, the company statement said.
Hantavirus is carried by rodents and can be transmitted when rodent droppings and urine become airborne, for example when disturbed during cleaning of areas where mice have been present. WHO said human-to-human transmission is rare but possible in isolated cases.
The illness typically begins with symptoms similar to the flu and can progress to severe outcomes involving heart and lung failure. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that roughly 40% of hantavirus cases are fatal. There are no specific antiviral drugs approved for hantavirus; medical care centers on supportive treatments and, in severe cases, mechanical ventilation to support breathing.
WHO said it is facilitating coordination between member states and the ship's operators for medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, conducting a full public health risk assessment and providing support to the remaining passengers on board. The British Foreign Office and South Africa's Department of Health did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Context and operational implications
The MV Hondius was on an extended polar itinerary with around 150 passengers when the suspected outbreak emerged. With Cape Verde refusing disembarkation for medical cases, international coordination is focused on evacuation logistics and repatriation. Health authorities are managing both the immediate clinical needs of the sick passengers and the broader public health assessment of the ship's complement.