They boarded a luxury Antarctic cruise. Then hantavirus took a deadly toll
Three passengers died and a fourth was hospitalized after contracting hantavirus on a luxury Antarctic cruise ship. The Dutch-flagged ship, MV Hondius, remained off the coast of Cape Verde as officials investigated the suspected outbreak.
A luxury cruise ship, MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, reported three passenger deaths and a fourth hospitalization due to suspected hantavirus infection. The ship was on a 46-day journey to Antarctica when the first death occurred on April 11. The victims included a Dutch couple and a German passenger. A British passenger was medically evacuated to South Africa and confirmed to have hantavirus. Two crew members, one British and one Dutch, also showed acute respiratory symptoms. Hantavirus is typically spread through inhaling particles contaminated with the virus, but one strain, Andes virus, can be transmitted human-to-human. Officials are investigating the source of the outbreak, considering possibilities such as rodents on board or person-to-person transmission. The ship remained off the coast of Cape Verde as of Monday.
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