Three people have died after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship en route from Argentina to Cape Verde, the World Health Organization tells the BBC
A 70-year-old male passenger became ill on the MV Hondius cruise and died on arrival at St Helena Island, a South African health official says – adding that the man’s remains are now “awaiting repatriation to the Netherlands”
The man’s wife, 69, also became ill and died in hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa – a South African official says the couple were Dutch.
The only confirmed case of the virus is a 69-year-old British national, who is in intensive care in Johannesburg, while two crew members on board need urgent medical assistance
Dutch officials are planning the repatriation of two symptomatic individuals as well as the body of the third person who died, which is still on board the vessel
Hantavirus refers to a strain of viruses carried by rodents, primarily transmitted to humans through inhalation of airborne particles from dried rodent droppings As a reminder, hantavirus hit the headlines last year.
The wife of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman died from a respiratory illness linked to hantavirus in March 2025.
Medical investigators said Betsy Arakawa contracted Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a life-threatening lung condition.
It is one of two severe illnesses that can be caused by hantavirus and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has a mortality rate of about 38%.
The second illness, Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal syndrome, is more severe and primarily affects the kidneys.
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infections.
Hackman died of natural causes about a week after his wife. He passed away at his Santa Fe home from coronary artery disease, with advanced Alzheimer’s disease a contributing factor
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