Three fatalities and several sick passengers have been linked to a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius; international health teams are coordinating evacuations and assessments
The voyage of the expedition ship MV Hondius has become the focus of an international public health response after a cluster of severe illnesses and three fatalities were linked to a suspected hantavirus infection. The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, began its journey from Argentina and called at remote stops before anchoring off Cape Verde.
Among those affected are passengers and crew who have required urgent medical care, and several individuals were medically evacuated to facilities in the Netherlands and South Africa.
Authorities say some of the people taken ashore include a British national moved to South Africa on April 27, and other patients flown to the Netherlands for specialist treatment.
The situation has prompted a coordinated response from the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and national health agencies including the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Health teams on board are conducting assessments while investigators try to determine how and where exposure occurred.
What happened and who is affected
So far officials have reported three deaths linked to the outbreak, including a Dutch couple who became ill during the voyage. One body remains on board awaiting repatriation. In addition to the fatalities, several passengers and two crew members have shown symptoms consistent with a hantavirus infection. At least one British passenger is in intensive care in Johannesburg and there are reports of other British nationals being monitored. The cruise itinerary shows the ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina on 20 March and had been scheduled to finish its route in Cape Verde on 4 May; the exact timeline of illness onset is being reconstructed as part of the probe.
Public health response and investigation
International health bodies have emphasized that they are treating this as a suspected outbreak of the Andes variant of hantavirus, a strain known to circulate in parts of South America. Teams from the WHO and the ECDC are assisting with case assessment and contact tracing. On board the vessel, two doctors and infectious disease experts have been performing medical evaluations of passengers and crew. Officials stress that, while the overall risk to the general public remains low, the virus’s incubation period means additional cases could appear days to weeks after exposure.
Medical evacuations and care
Medical evacuations have included transfers to hospitals in the Netherlands and South Africa for people requiring intensive supportive therapy. Treatment for hantavirus is primarily supportive care—oxygen therapy, intensive monitoring and organ support when needed—because there are no widely available specific antivirals or vaccines for most hantavirus infections. Health authorities have reported that some evacuated patients are stable or improving, while others remain seriously ill. Specialist teams are tracing contacts, and health services are checking any potential onward exposures during flights or transfers.
Sources and likely exposure
Investigators are looking at pre-cruise activities to find a common exposure. Authorities have highlighted a birdwatching excursion in Argentina as a plausible source for initial cases, noting that rodent-borne transmission—typically via aerosolised droppings or urine—is the usual route for hantaviruses. While person-to-person transmission can occur with certain Andes virus strains, it is considered unusual; epidemiologists are therefore carefully examining timelines and close contacts to determine whether limited secondary spread may have taken place on board.
Implications for passengers and wider public health
Passengers remaining on the ship have been classed as close contacts and are undergoing medical checks. The UK has arranged plans for repatriation of asymptomatic British nationals once the ship docks, and some returning passengers have been advised to self-isolate for up to 45 days. Local port authorities in Cape Verde have been cautious about allowing disembarkation to protect the population ashore, and maritime health protocols are being applied while the vessel continues to its next port. Contact tracing is also being carried out for any flights that transported evacuated patients.
What travellers should know
Health experts urge travellers who took part in activities in regions where hantavirus circulates, or who develop sudden respiratory symptoms after travel, to seek immediate medical evaluation. The WHO and national agencies recommend early recognition and rapid transfer to facilities capable of providing intensive supportive care. For now, authorities do not expect this incident to develop into a widespread epidemic, but they continue surveillance and testing to limit further risk and to clarify how the cluster originated.
As investigations continue, families of those affected and passengers awaiting repatriation are being kept informed by the cruise company and health agencies. The situation remains fluid, and agencies warn that additional updates may follow as laboratory results and contact tracing efforts progress.
