Three cruise ship passengers have died and three others are ill in a suspected hantavirus outbreak on an expedition vessel with four Australians on board docked off the island nation of Cape Verde on Africa’s Atlantic Coast.
Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions said it was “managing a serious medical situation” on its polar expedition ship, MV Hondius (also used by Chimu Adventures), after a Dutch cruiser died on board on 11 April 2026 and his wife became sick on 27 April and later died in a possible hantavirus outbreak.
The rodent-borne virus, which spreads between people in rare cases, can cause flu-like symptoms and result in fatal respiratory illness in around 40 per cent of cases.
A variant of hantavirus has been detected in a British passenger, currently being treated in South Africa, and two crew members have acute respiratory symptoms requiring urgent medical care.
Another passenger – a German national – died on 2 May of undetermined causes. A hantavirus outbreak has not been confirmed as connected to all cases yet.
The cruise departed from Ushuaia, Argentina on 1 April 2026 with around 150 passengers on board (149 of whom remained on board), stopping in Antarctica en route to Cape Verde where it is currently anchored off Praia, the island’s capital.
Oceanwide Expeditions said Cape Verde authorities have not permitted passengers requiring medical care to disembark, while cruisers are confined to their cabins. The company is looking at sailing on to the Canary Islands.
In a media release on its website, Oceanwide Expeditions said it is working with local and international authorities, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health & the Environment), relevant embassies and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
WHO said it was investigating the hantavirus outbreak as the lab tests have confirmed its presence in one of the six people.
“WHO is facilitating coordination between member states and the ship’s operators for medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, as well as full public health risk assessment and support to the remaining passengers on board,” the agency said.
KARRYON UNPACKS: The hantavirus outbreak incident highlights the importance of travel insurance, client communication and awareness of health protocols, particularly for remote expedition cruising, along with the complexities of managing medical emergencies at sea and the reliance on international coordination when vessels are operating far from major ports.
