Three passengers have died in a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship stranded off Cape Verde, as health officials monitor the situation and passengers await rescue.
What started on a high note is now a stressful period of wait-and-watch. Three passengers who were cruising aboard the MV Hondius have died from a suspected outbreak of hantavirus, a rare but often fatal disease caused by rodents. There are around 150 people on the cruise ship, which has been moored off Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean for two days. One of them, a travel influencer from Boston, has shared updates on what’s been going on.
Jake Rosmarin, who has 54,000 followers on Instagram, posted two days ago that he was on board the MV Hondius, operated by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, and that he wouldn’t be making any comments. He followed that with an emotional video highlighting that whatever was happening was very real to the passengers on board. “We’re not just a story, we’re not just headlines.” He added that there was a lot of uncertainty and they want to feel safe and have clarity.
In another post, he reassured followers that everyone onboard was doing OK and showed appreciation for the crew, who “have been handling a very difficult situation with care.” In his stories, he shared pictures from the ship of Cape Verde and said that spirits are high.
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Crew members are disinfecting the vessel and delivering meals to passengers in their cabins. Passengers have been advised to isolate, wear masks, sanitize their hands and minimize contact with others. Oceanwide Expeditions is also posting updates on its social media channels and website.
As of May 4, there are seven cases of hantavirus reported (two confirmed and five suspected). The World Health Organization says the risk to the global population remains low.
The Outbreak
The cruise departed from Argentina on April 1 and headed to Antarctica, making several stops along the way before heading to Cape Verde. A 70-year-old Dutch national fell sick onboard and died April 11. His body was removed from the cruise April 24 at St. Helena, and his 69-year-old wife also disembarked. On her way back to the Netherlands, she fell sick and died in South Africa on April 26. Then, a German national died onboard, and a British national was hospitalized in South Africa. The British passenger tested positive for hantavirus; the Dutch woman was posthumously tested, and her results also confirmed she was infected.
Two crew members who were ill, along with another passenger, have been medically evacuated to the Netherlands. Meanwhile, other passengers are practicing social distancing as they wait off the coast of Cape Verde.
Cape Verde was the last stop for the cruise, but the government of the West African country did not allow the ship to dock after the outbreak was suspected. The ship has been marooned offshore for days. It will go to the Canary Islands instead; Spain agreed to let it dock after requests from the World Health Organization. Regional authorities, however, have objected to the move by the Spanish Health Ministry. The Canary Islands are off the coast of northwestern Africa and are an autonomous community of Spain.
Meanwhile, Switzerland has confirmed a positive case in a Swiss national who returned from the cruise at the end of April. He is being treated in Zurich, and there is no threat to the public.
It is not yet known how the passengers were infected with the deadly virus. The World Health Organization suspects that someone was infected off the boat and brought it onboard. “However, we do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that’s happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who’ve shared cabins, etc,” WHO adviser Maria Van Kerkhove said.
What Is Hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a serious virus found worldwide. It spreads when an individual comes into contact with rodent droppings or saliva; breathing in particles containing the virus can also cause infection. In the U.S., deer mice have been known to spread it. Human-to-human spread is rare, but it is possible. One strain, called the Andes virus, can spread among close contacts and is primarily found in Argentina and Chile.
Symptoms of the virus are flu-like but can become severe very quickly. Fever, chills, fatigue, dizziness, and diarrhea are commonly experienced by those who are infected, and the illness can progress to tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing. In strains found in Asia and Europe, patients may also experience internal bleeding and kidney failure.
There are no specific medications or treatments for the infection, and it has a high fatality rate.
Since the U.S. began surveillance of the illness in 1993, 890 cases have been reported through 2023; 35% of infections have resulted in death. New Mexico and Colorado have reported the most infections (129 and 121), while Arizona, California and Washington have had more than 50 cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 95% of infections have been found west of the Mississippi River.
People should minimize contact with rodents and carefully handle any droppings. Seal gaps in homes and place traps to prevent rodents from gaining access to indoor environments.
