Three people have died following a suspected outbreak of Hantavirus on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization has told the BBC, with cases linked to passengers from the Netherlands.
The WHO said there was one confirmed case and five suspected infections aboard the MV Hondius, which had been sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde.
A 69-year-old British man is currently in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa, with local officials telling the BBC he had contracted the virus.
The UK Foreign Office said it was monitoring the situation and stands ready to assist British nationals.
Hantavirus is typically transmitted to humans through contact with rodent droppings, saliva, or urine, and can lead to severe respiratory illness. In rare instances, it may spread between people.
The vessel, MV Hondius, is operated by Oceanwide Expeditions. According to its published itinerary, it departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina on 20 March and completed its voyage on 4 May in Cape Verde, where it is currently anchored off the राजधानी, Praia.
The 107.6m polar cruise ship can accommodate up to 170 passengers across 80 cabins, alongside 57 crew members, 13 guides, and one onboard doctor.
Foster Mohale, spokesperson for South Africa’s health ministry, told the BBC that around 150 tourists of various nationalities were on board.
Before the WHO confirmed three fatalities, Mohale had reported at least two deaths. He said the victims—a 70-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman—were a Dutch couple.
The health official said the man suddenly became ill, developing fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. He died on arrival on the island of Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic.
The woman also became ill on board and was evacuated to South Africa, where she died in a Johannesburg hospital.
A third Dutch national has also died, with efforts ongoing to repatriate the body along with a guest “closely associated” with them, Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed.
The company added that two crew members required urgent medical care, but authorities in Cape Verde had not yet granted permission for them to disembark for treatment.
“Disembarkation and medical screening of all guests require co-ordination with local health authorities, and we are in close consultation with them,” Oceanwide Expeditions said.
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles told the BBC the time between exposure to hantavirus and the onset of symptoms could range from one to eight weeks.
“With this incubation period are we going to see more people coming down with the disease in the next days and weeks?”
Hantavirus drew global attention last year after the wife of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman died from a respiratory illness linked to the virus in March 2025.
