Three people are dead and at least three more are sick from a Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship — which officials are concerned about docking due to the contagious and deadly virus.
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On April 1, the Dutch-based ship — with more than 150 passengers from various countries — departed South America (Ushuaia, Argentina) for stops in Antartica and remote Atlantic islands. Stops included the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan, St. Helena, Ascension, Cape Verde, and the Canary Islands.
On April 3, the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) announced three people aboard a cruise ship sailing the Atlantic Ocean died of suspected infections of Hantavirus — a rare group of viruses carried by rodents.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus, which has a 1 to 8-week incubation period, is often transmitted to humans by inhaling particles of dried deer mouse droppings or urine. The only Hantavirus documented to have spread person-to-person is the Andes virus, found in South America.
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Man And Wife On Cruise Ship Die Of Hantavirus After Bird Watching Trip In Argentina
Additionally, on Sunday, officials from the ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said they were closely monitoring the situation, “and is deploying all available resources to ensure appropriate medical care and support for passengers and crew.” The statement added:
“During this voyage, three passengers have passed away. Two of these deaths occurred on board the vessel, and one occurred after disembarkation. In addition, one passenger is currently being treated in intensive care in Johannesburg, and two individuals on board require urgent medical care. At this stage, it has not been established whether Hantavirus is linked to the three deaths connected to this voyage. Hantavirus has not been confirmed in the two symptomatic individuals currently on board.”
The first victim to become ill was a 70-year-old Dutch man. Aboard the ship, he experienced a fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. He later died on April 11, upon arrival in St. Helena Island. His remains were sent to the Netherlands.
Two weeks later, on April 26, the man’s 69-year-old wife died after becoming ill on board. While trying to fly home to the Netherlands, the woman collapsed at the O.R. Tambo International Airport in South Africa. She later died at a local health facility. Authorities believe the couple was infected before boarding the ship. They suspect the duo contracted Hantavirus upon visiting a landfill during a bird watching trip in Argentina.
The third victim was a German woman who died on May 2. WHO reported that the body will remain on the ship until final docking. Additionally, on Wednesday (May 6), it was reported that three other patients (two with Hantavirus and one suspected of infection) were evacuated for treatment in the Netherlands. The ship then departed Cape Verde with nearly 150 people on board, isolated in their cabins. Officials in Spain said they expected to ship to dock in the Canary Islands. Upon arrival, it would be fully disinfected.
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Spanish Officials Concerned About Docking Of Cruise Ship Carrying Patients With Contagious And Deadly Hantavirus
As Spanish officials planned for the arrival of the ship, regional president of Spain’s Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, expressed concern. On Wednesday, he complained that central authorities in Madrid hadn’t informed him of the details of the situation inside the ship. He and other local health officials believe they’ve been given limited ability to prepare for the ship’s arrival. Clavijo said, “We still don’t know the status of all the passengers. There is no protocol for this.”
However, Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said the arrival of the boat “won’t represent any risk for the public.” She said the boat will arrive at a secondary port on the island of Tenerife. It sits 10 minutes from an airport. From there, the nearly 140 passengers, who are reportedly asymptotic (without symptoms) will be escorted to their home countries. The 14 Spanish nationals aboard will be flown by military plane to the mainland, and kept in quarantine, if needed.
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Furthermore, on Wednesday (May 6), authorities in Switzerland said a man who previously traveled on the ship and returned home tested positive for the Andes strain of the virus — which can spread from person-to-person. Additionally, South African authorities said they identified the Andes strain of Hantavirus in two passengers aboard the ship.
One passenger was the 69-year-old Dutch woman. The second is a British man, who was placed in intensive care at a South African hospital. The man became ill as the ship traveled from St. Helena to Ascension Island. They were transferred from a hospital in Ascension to a private South African health facility in Sandton, where his results came back positive for Hantavirus, with the Andes strain.
Additionally, health ministry officials reported 62 people in South Africa — airplane passengers, airport workers, health workers, hospital cleaners, port of entry officials and others — likely had contact with the Dutch woman and British man. Of the 62, 42 have been contacted and none tested for Hantavirus. However, the remaining 20 people might have traveled to other countries.
Elsewhere, the World Health Organization’s top epidemic expert tells the Associated Press that this is not the next Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Maria Van Kerkhove said, “This is not the next Covid, but it is a serious infectious disease. Most people will never be exposed to this.”
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