Three people traveling on a cruise ship across the Atlantic that departed from the Argentine city of Ushuaia and was headed to Cape Verde have died from a possible hantavirus outbreak, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
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The MV Hondius cruise ship departed Tierra del Fuego on March 20 and was scheduled to arrive in Cape Verde this Monday, May 4. The WHO has confirmed hantavirus infection in at least one of the cases and there are five other suspected cases, one of whom is in intensive care in South Africa.
“Detailed investigations are underway, including additional laboratory tests and epidemiological investigations. Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Virus sequencing is also in progress,” the WHO stated in a message on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
The international organization emphasized that it is also facilitating coordination between Member States and the ship operators to evacuate passengers showing symptoms and to conduct a public health risk assessment for the rest of the travelers on board the cruise.
WHO is aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases. Of the six affected individuals, three have died… pic.twitter.com/SqMAAZzoID
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 3, 2026
According to the BBC, South African authorities confirmed that the first person to show symptoms was a 70-year-old passenger who died on board the cruise ship. His 69-year-old wife also became ill and was evacuated to a hospital in South Africa where she died. Another man of the same nationality, aged 69, was also hospitalized in Johannesburg, where he remains in intensive care, according to the British media outlet.
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands has confirmed to public television that the deceased couple (a 70-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman) are Dutch, reports Isabel Ferrer from The Hague. The identity of the third victim is currently unknown.
With flu-like symptoms, hantavirus is usually transmitted through contact with the saliva, feces, and urine of infected mice. It can also be transmitted by the bite or scratch of a rodent, although this is rare. According to the Argentine newspaper La Nación, in Argentina, 22 deaths from hantavirus were confirmed in 2025, and a national health alert was declared weeks ago.
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause severe illness and even death. These microorganisms can cause diseases such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, both potentially fatal. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 38% of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease.
There is no targeted treatment for hantavirus infection. Therapeutic management focuses on rest, hydration, and medications to alleviate symptoms. In those who develop hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, respiratory problems may occur, requiring assisted ventilation such as intubation. Patients with hemorrhagic syndrome and kidney involvement may require dialysis to remove toxins from the blood.
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