The World Health Organization has warned that more hantavirus cases may emerge in the coming weeks following a deadly outbreak on a cruise ship near the Cape Verde Islands, where three people have died and eight are suspected to be infected. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized the virus’s incubation period of up to six weeks as a key concern, though he assessed the public health risk as low.
The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged expedition vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, has triggered a multinational response. The ship, carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries, was quarantined near St. Helena after passengers reported severe symptoms including fever, gastrointestinal distress, and respiratory failure. Three fatalities—a Dutch couple and a German national—have been confirmed, with one person still critically ill and three others hospitalized in Europe.
International health authorities are racing to trace passengers who disembarked before the outbreak was fully identified. On April 24, 30 individuals, including two Canadians, left the ship at St. Helena, a British territory in the Atlantic Ocean. Among them was the wife of a Dutch passenger who died on board on April 11; she later fell ill and passed away after being removed from a KLM flight in Johannesburg on April 25. A KLM stewardess who had contact with her is now hospitalized in Amsterdam with possible symptoms, awaiting test results.
The MV Hondius is now en route to Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, expected to dock on Sunday. Upon arrival, non-Spanish passengers will be repatriated if asymptomatic, while 14 Spanish citizens will be quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid. Four Canadians on board remain asymptomatic and are not considered close contacts of the infected, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
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Health officials have identified the virus as the Andean strain, which can spread through close human contact, though experts note transmission is rare. The WHO is coordinating with multiple governments to ensure patient care and prevent further spread, while Argentina’s Health Ministry plans rodent trapping and analysis in Ushuaia, the ship’s origin point.
Separately, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring American travelers on board, reiterating that the risk to the general public remains extremely low. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, part of the medical team on the Hondius, is finalizing protocols with Spanish authorities for the upcoming disembarkation.
Investigations into the initial infection, first reported on April 6, suggest the first patient may have contracted the virus before boarding. Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that all remaining passengers on the ship are currently asymptomatic, but the potential for delayed onset of symptoms keeps global health agencies on high alert.
The outbreak has already claimed three lives, with five confirmed infections among the eight suspected cases. As tracing efforts intensify for the 30 passengers who disembarked early, the global response hinges on containing a virus that can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory condition with a high mortality rate.
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