Geneva: A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius has left three passengers dead and several others ill, as the vessel remains stranded off the coast of Cape Verde with nearly 150 people on board. The ship is expected to sail to Spain’s Canary Islands following emergency evacuations and international coordination.
The ship, which departed Argentina on April 1 for an Atlantic voyage that included Antarctica and the Falkland Islands, has seen its itinerary disrupted due to the outbreak.
World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that three patients with suspected hantavirus infections have been evacuated and are being transported to the Netherlands. Among them is the ship’s doctor, whose condition has improved, according to Spain’s health ministry.
“At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low,” Tedros said in a post on X, adding that the WHO is working closely with the cruise operator to monitor the health of passengers and crew. Those still on board are isolating in their cabins.
Hantavirus is typically transmitted through inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings. However, health authorities in South Africa and Switzerland have identified the Andes strain of the virus in affected individuals — a rare variant capable of human-to-human transmission, usually through close contact.
South African health officials confirmed that two passengers who were evacuated to the country tested positive for the Andes virus. One, a British man, is currently in intensive care, while another passenger was diagnosed posthumously after dying in South Africa.
Swiss authorities also reported a confirmed case involving a man who had travelled on the cruise. According to the Federal Office of Public Health, the patient is receiving treatment in Zurich. His wife, who accompanied him on the trip, has shown no symptoms but is self-isolating as a precaution.
Officials said the infected Swiss patient had disembarked earlier during a stop at St. Helena in the South Atlantic, though details of his return journey remain unclear. Authorities stressed that there is currently no risk to the general public.
Spain has agreed to receive the vessel in the Canary Islands following a request from the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. However, the move has sparked concern among regional leaders.
Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo expressed alarm over potential risks to local residents and called for urgent talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
“Neither the populace nor the government of the Canary Islands can rest assured because it is clear that the danger to the population is real,” Clavijo told Onda Cero radio.
The outbreak has also reshaped the ship’s journey. According to the WHO, the vessel had planned stops across the South Atlantic, including mainland Antarctica and remote islands such as South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena and Ascension Island.
At St. Helena, the body of a Dutch man believed to be the first suspected hantavirus case was removed from the ship. His wife also disembarked there and later died in South Africa. A British passenger was subsequently evacuated at Ascension Island and remains in critical condition.
The cruise company has not disclosed whether additional passengers disembarked at other ports. As authorities continue to manage the outbreak, the ship remains under close international surveillance, with efforts focused on containing the spread and ensuring medical care for those affected.