A rare outbreak of hantavirus aboard a luxury expedition cruise ship stranded off the coast of Africa has triggered global health concern after the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that limited human-to-human transmission may have occurred among passengers. The outbreak, linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, has already claimed at least three lives and left several others infected or under medical observation.
The ship, which had departed from Ushuaia in southern Argentina in March for an expedition voyage, reported multiple cases of illness while sailing near Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean. According to WHO officials, seven confirmed and suspected cases of hantavirus had been identified by May 4, including three deaths and one critically ill patient receiving treatment in South Africa.
Health authorities believe the outbreak may involve the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare variant known to spread between humans under close-contact conditions. Experts have stressed that this type of transmission is extremely uncommon and generally occurs among people sharing confined spaces or intimate contact, such as married couples or cabin partners.
WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said investigators suspect the first infected passengers — reportedly a Dutch couple — may have contracted the virus before boarding the ship, possibly during bird-watching activities in Argentina. The agency noted that the couple later shared close contact with other passengers aboard the vessel, raising the possibility of onboard transmission.
Hantavirus is generally transmitted through exposure to infected rodents, particularly through inhalation of particles contaminated with rodent urine, saliva, or droppings. The disease can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory illness that initially resembles flu-like symptoms but may rapidly progress to breathing difficulties and lung failure. According to health experts, the mortality rate in severe cases can exceed 30 percent.
The WHO clarified that there were reportedly no rats found aboard the ship, strengthening the theory that the infections may have originated before embarkation. However, scientists are still investigating whether some cases could have resulted from exposure during shore excursions at remote islands visited during the voyage.
As panic spread internationally, WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reassured the public that the outbreak does not currently pose a widespread pandemic threat. Officials emphasized that hantavirus does not spread like COVID-19 or influenza and requires much closer contact for transmission.
Passengers aboard the ship have been isolated, while authorities in Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands, the United States, and other countries have initiated contact tracing and quarantine measures for travelers who may have been exposed. The ship is expected to dock near Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where medical screening and evacuation operations are being coordinated under strict health protocols.
The outbreak has also sparked intense discussion online, with social media users comparing the situation to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, virologists and public health experts have repeatedly stressed that the current risk to the general public remains low.
