Month: May 2026

Passengers are still onboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, after three people died from what appears to be hantavirus—a rare type of zoonotic virus carried by rodents—as the World Health Organization works to evacuate two symptomatic crew members still on board.

Location: The MV Hondius is currently anchored off Praia, Cape Verde, after traveling from Argentina towards the Canary Islands.

Impact: Three passengers have died, and others have shown symptoms of severe respiratory illness. One British passenger was evacuated to South Africa, where they tested positive for a hantavirus variant.

Cases: As of the latest reports, one case was laboratory-confirmed, with five other suspected cases (including two crew members).

Response: Passengers were instructed to remain in cabins while the vessel underwent sanitization, according to reports.

Transmission: Hantaviruses are typically transmitted to humans through contact with rodent droppings or urine, particularly when the material becomes airborne. While human-to-human transmission is rare, it has been mentioned as a potential factor in this scenario.

Symptoms: Initial symptoms are flu-like—fever, chills, body aches, and headaches—which can progress rapidly to serious respiratory failure.

Risk: The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the risk to the general public remains low.

Severity: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is highly fatal, with studies indicating a roughly 40% death rate.