Rare Hantavirus Outbreak Kills Three on an Expedition Cruise Ship

There’s a distressing situation aboard an expedition cruise ship in the central Atlantic Ocean. Three people have died from a suspected hantavirus outbreak, while two crew members are reportedly ill.

Hantavirus is a strain of viruses carried by rodents, primarily transmitted to humans by inhaling airborne particles of their droppings. According to the WHO, in rare cases, the viruses can also spread between people. 

Operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, the MV Hondius is described as  the first-registered Polar Class 6 vessel in the world. The Oceanwide website says the ship “represents the most flexible, advanced, innovative touring vessel in the polar regions, thoroughly optimized for exploratory voyages that provide (passengers) the utmost first-hand contact with the Arctic and Antarctica.”

The Hondius had travelled from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde off the coast of East Africa.

In a statement, Oceanwide Expeditions said it is dealing with “a serious medical situation” and confirmed the deaths of three passengers, all of them Dutch. The BBC reports that two crew members require urgent medical care but ship officials were waiting for authorization from Cape Verde for them to disembark and travel to hospital.

A microbiologist was quoted as saying the time between people being exposed to the virus and showing symptoms can range from one to eight weeks, so more cases are possible.

The MV Hondius carries 150 passengers, 57 crew members, 13 guides and a doctor.

Founded in 1993, Oceanwide Expeditions is a Dutch company specializing in Arctic and Antarctic expeditions. It owns a fleet of ice-strengthened vessels and is a five-time winner of the World’s Leading Polar Expedition Operator Award.