“It is believed they died due to a hantavirus infection, a severe, often fatal disease spread primarily through inhaling airborne particles from rodent urine, droppings, or saliva,” a source familiar with the situation stated, as reports emerged regarding three fatalities linked to a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius on May 3, 2026.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, while five additional cases are suspected. The first patient to exhibit symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger who tragically passed away on board the vessel.
Subsequently, the body of the first victim was transferred to the island of Saint Helena for further investigation. Notably, the wife of this passenger, aged 69, also fell ill and later succumbed to her condition in a Johannesburg hospital. In addition, a 69-year-old British man remains in intensive care at a facility in Johannesburg.
The MV Hondius, which is operated by Dutch tour company Oceanwide Expeditions, was en route from Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Verde when the outbreak occurred. According to documents from health authorities, hantavirus infections are typically linked to environmental exposure to infected rodents’ urine or faeces.
As health officials work diligently to manage this crisis aboard the cruise ship, the WHO has stated that it is “facilitating coordination” between national authorities and the ship’s operators to organise medical evacuations for two passengers exhibiting symptoms consistent with hantavirus infection.
While investigations continue into how this outbreak occurred and its potential links to rodent exposure onboard, uncertainties remain regarding the nationalities of the victims and the exact number of symptomatic passengers currently being monitored.