Three dead in cruise that parted from Argentina in suspected hantavirus outbreak

A suspected outbreak of rodent-borne disease hantavirus in a cruise ship that parted from Argentina has the international health community on alert. So far, three passengers have died — a Dutch couple and a German national. Two crew members are symptomatic and awaiting medical evacuation. A British person is in intensive care in South Africa and is the only one to have laboratory confirmation that they have hantavirus, according to Oceanview Expeditions, the company which owns the cruise. The World Health Organization (WHO), which is currently assessing the situation, said there are five suspected hantavirus cases and one confirmed amongst those who were or are on board the ship. WHO is aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases. Of the six affected individuals, three have died… pic.twitter.com/SqMAAZzoID— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 3, 2026 The Dutch ship, called the MV Hondius, was crossing the Atlantic Ocean en route to Cape Verde — where it is currently docked — when the disease broke out.  It had sailed from Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego, on March 20. Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost province in Argentina, is located in the Patagonia, a region where hantavirus is prevalent.  However, the local health ministry stated that there are no registered cases in the province and that the disease is mainly present in other Patagonian regions such as Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut. Hantavirus Hantavirus infections typically happen due to exposure to infected rodents’ urine or faeces. “While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response,” said the WHO in a statement. Hans Kluge, Regional Director of WHO Europe, said that the virus is not easily transmitted between people. “The risk to the wider public remains low. There is no need for panic or travel restrictions,” he added. The international organization is also coordinating, along with the countries involved, a medical evacuation operation of the two symptomatic passengers who remain on the cruise, as well as a “full public health risk assessment and support to the remaining passengers on board.” Who are the people affected Oceanwide Expeditions issued several statements lamenting a “serious medical situation” on board the MV Hondius cruise ship, and published a timeline of the events, including information on the patients and the deceased. The first death happened on board on April 11 — it was a Dutch man, who was on vacation along with his wife. The passenger suddenly became ill, developing fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, Foster Mohale, a spokesperson for South Africa’s health ministry, told the BBC. Oceanwide Expeditions said “the cause of death could not be determined on board.” On April 24, the man’s body was disembarked on St Helena, a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. Three days later, the company learned that the man’s wife, who had disembarked along with this body,  “had become unwell during the return journey and had later died,” they said. Dutch media reported that the woman died in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. However, the firm clarified it remained unclear whether the Dutch couple’s death was connected to “the current medical situation on board.” That same day — April 27 — a British passenger became “seriously ill” and was medically evacuated to Johannesburg, where the person was hospitalized and remains “in a critical but stable condition” in intensive care. On 2 May, another passenger, a German national, died on board. “The cause has not yet been established,” the company said. Repatriation Two crew members on board currently have “acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe,” and require “urgent medical care,” the company stated, They are of British and Dutch nationality and hantavirus has not been confirmed at time of writing. “At this time, no other persons with symptoms have been identified,” the cruise firm added. There are 149 people on board from 23 different nationalities. Oceanview Expeditions is working on potential medical repatriation of those affected and is considering sailing to Las Palmas or Tenerife for disembarkation, “where further medical screening and handling could take place.” A repatriation of the two crew members, as well as of the German deceased passenger and of the person who was travelling with them, is also being organized by Dutch authorities and the company.