A cruise ship carrying nearly 150 people remains stranded off the coast of Cape Verde after three passengers died and several others fell seriously ill in a suspected outbreak of Hantavirus, according to the World Health Organization and the vessel’s operator.
The ship, MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, has been on a long polar trip, from Argentina to Antarctica and remote South Atlantic islands. It sought assistance after reaching waters near Cape Verde, but authorities have not allowed it to dock due to public health concerns.
Hantavirus, typically spread through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, is rare but can be severe. Officials are still investigating how the outbreak may have started, while coordinating medical evacuations for critically ill passengers and crew.
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Among the confirmed cases, a British passenger evacuated earlier to South Africa remains in critical condition. A Dutch couple were among the victims, with the woman later testing positive for the virus after her death. Another deceased passenger, a German national, remains onboard.
There are 87 passengers and 61 crew members still on the vessel, including individuals from the US, UK,and Spain. Two crew members with respiratory symptoms urgently require treatment. Medical teams from Cape Verde have visited the ship multiple times, and evacuation plans are being arranged.
The cruise began in Ushuaia on April 1, where no infections were initially detected. However, health experts note that hantavirus symptoms can take weeks to appear, making it difficult to determine where exposure occurred.
Authorities, including the WHO, are conducting risk assessments and contact tracing while emphasizsing that the risk to the wider public remains low. Although there is no specific cure for hantavirus, early medical care can improve survival chances, and human-to-human transmission is considered uncommon.
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