A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus has left three dead and at least three others seriously ill on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, though “there is no need for the public to panic,” according to National Department of Health in South Africa spokesman Foster Mohale and the World Health Organization.
The MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, about three weeks ago en route to the Canary Islands, with stops scheduled in mainland Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and Cape Verde. Mohale said passengers of the ship were in medical facilities in South Africa “following serious health complications arising from undiagnosed severe acute respiratory infection.”
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The WHO will be “coordinating a multicountry response with all affected islands and countries to contain further spread of the disease,” Mohale said. One person is in intensive care, and two others are in “urgent medical care.”
There are six cases, though only one has been confirmed by a laboratory to be hantavirus. The additional five are suspected. A 70-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife, both of whom appear to be from the Netherlands, died along with a British man, whose lab results came back positive, of unknown age.
The virus causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches, and chills, and can lead to respiratory problems and lung or heart failure.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator of the ship, said in a statement that it is “deploying all available resources to ensure appropriate medical care and support for passengers and crew.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 890 cases of the virus in 2023, and the only instance of the virus spreading person-to-person is the specific family of the South American Andes Virus.
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Hantaviruses are a family of pathogens spread by rodents and excreted from their saliva, urine, and droppings. Mice, specifically deer mice, are the main carriers of the virus. People in rural areas exposed to lots of mice are most at risk, according to the American Lung Association.
Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from the virus in February 2025, bringing national attention to the disease.
