The MV Hondius cruise ship, hit by a rare hantavirus outbreak believed to have killed three people, is sailing from Cape Verde towards the Spanish island of Tenerife where isolating passengers and crew will be finally be evacuated. Here is what we know so far about the situation on the Hondius, which has sparked international alarm since news of the outbreak emerged last weekend.- Who is on board? -There are 149 people on the MV Hondius, the ship’s Dutch operator Oceanwide Expeditions told AFP on Thursday.
There are 23 nationalities on board. There are more than 80 passengers, with the largest groups from Britain, the United States and Spain. Most of the crew are from the Philippines. Following Wednesday’s evacuation of three suspected cases, the ship operator said Thursday “no symptomatic individuals are present on board”.- Cases -There are three confirmed cases of hantavirus, according to health authorities — a Dutch woman who died in hospital in Johannesburg, a British man being treated in Johannesburg, and a Swiss national in hospital in Zurich, who left the cruise in Saint Helena.
There are also five suspected cases of the virus: two people who have died and three evacuated from the ship.- Three deaths -A Dutch couple who had travelled around South America before boarding the ship in Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1 were the first fatalities. The husband, 70, showed symptoms on April 6 and died on April 11. His body was taken off the ship during its April 22-24 call at Saint Helena, an island in the south Atlantic.
His 69-year-old wife, who was feeling unwell, also left the ship at Saint Helena. Her health deteriorated during an April 25 flight to Johannesburg and she died in hospital a day later, with hantavirus confirmed on May 4. A German passenger who developed a fever on April 28, which became pneumonia, died on May 2. Her body remains on the ship.- Evacuees -A British passenger became ill on April 24 with signs of fever and pneumonia and was evacuated from the Atlantic island of Ascension to South Africa, where he is in intensive care.
Hantavirus was confirmed on May 2. Two crew members, one British and one Dutch, also showed symptoms. They were evacuated from Cape Verde’s capital Praia on Wednesday along with a passenger with no symptoms but with links to the German woman who died. A medical plane carrying two evacuees landed at Amsterdam late Wednesday, while another air ambulance believed to be carrying the third evacuee landed there early Thursday.- The virus -The rare disease is usually spread from infected rodents, typically through urine, droppings and saliva.
Laboratory testing in South Africa and Switzerland confirmed the two patients being treated in those countries had the Andes strain of hantavirus — the only one known to pass between humans. There are no vaccines or specific treatments for hantavirus. However, officials including the head of the World Health Organization said the overall public health risk from the current outbreak was low, as very close contact is needed for it to spread.- Contact tracing -The WHO has said that contact tracing is under way for people on the April 25 commercial flight taken by the Dutch woman from Saint Helena to Johannesburg before she died.
Dutch airline KLM indicated Wednesday that the Dutch woman who died had also been “briefly” on its flight from Johannesburg to the Netherlands on April 25, but was removed before take-off. A flight attendant on that flight is currently being tested for hantavirus after showing mild symptoms and being admitted to hospital in Amsterdam, the Dutch health ministry said Thursday. Two Singapore residents who had been aboard the Hondius have been isolated and are being tested for hantavirus, Singapore officials said Thursday. Former passengers in Britain and the United States are also reportedly under observation.
A small number of people on Saint Helena, who had close, prolonged contact with unwell passengers, have been asked to isolate for 45 days. Argentina’s health ministry said Wednesday it was sending experts to Ushuaia to capture and test rodents for the virus “in areas linked to the route” the Dutch couple took.- The journey -The cruise began on April 1, with 114 guests boarding at Ushuaia, Oceanwide Expeditions said.
After South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha and other Atlantic islands, the vessel called at Saint Helena, where 30 guests disembarked on April 24. The Hondius then stopped at Ascension Island on April 27, before anchoring off Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, from Sunday until it set sail for the Canaries late Wednesday.- What is happening on board? -The WHO said passengers were being asked to isolate in their cabins while disinfection and other measures are being taken.
A former passenger told AFP that life carried on as usual aboard the ship after the captain announced the first passenger’s death.”We again kept eating all together… and we didn’t wear any masks,” said Turkish national Ruhi Cenet, who left the cruise in Saint Helena.- What’s next? -Spain’s health ministry has said the ship is expected in Tenerife on Sunday, with evacuation of passengers set to start on May 11.burs-nl/rlp
Thu, 07 May 2026 12:12:18 GMT