Second Hantavirus Case Confirmed After Three Deaths Aboard Atlantic Cruise Ship

A second case of hantavirus has been laboratory confirmed among passengers and crew of the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged polar cruise ship anchored off Cape Verde, following the deaths of three passengers since mid-April.

The Details

The two confirmed cases involve a 69-year-old British passenger who is receiving intensive care in Johannesburg and a Dutch woman who died after disembarking at St Helena, according to BBC reporting that cited statements from Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise operator.

The outbreak began with the first passenger becoming ill and dying aboard the ship on April 11. Oceanwide Expeditions later said the cause of death could not be determined while the ship was at sea. The first victim's body was taken off the vessel when the MV Hondius docked at St Helena on April 24.

A second passenger died after leaving the ship at St Helena. Then, on April 27, the 69-year-old British passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa, where hantavirus was later confirmed.

A third passenger, identified by Oceanwide as a German national, died aboard the ship on May 2, according to both BBC and CBS News reporting that cited the Associated Press.

On May 4, the World Health Organization said at least one hantavirus case had been laboratory confirmed and that five more suspected cases were under investigation. The WHO also said the confirmed patient was in intensive care in South Africa. Cape Verde authorities kept the ship offshore pending evacuation planning.

The BBC reported on May 5 that a second case had been confirmed, this time in the Dutch woman who had died after disembarking at St Helena. The broader outbreak has been independently corroborated, but the specific update that a second case had been laboratory confirmed appeared in the later BBC report and was not yet reflected in the earlier CBS News and Associated Press dispatch.

The MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged polar cruise ship that had sailed from Argentina, remains offshore near Cape Verde with 149 people from 23 countries on board. Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch company that operates the vessel, told the BBC that two crew members with acute respiratory symptoms still require urgent medical care.

South Africa's health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, said the British patient was receiving supportive treatment in a critical care unit. "He's being taken care of," Motsoaledi said, according to the BBC. "As you know, hantavirus, like all viruses, don't have any specific treatment, so they are giving symptomatic treatment and support as much as they could."

Context

Hantaviruses are mainly spread through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings, and saliva, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Person-to-person transmission is rare.

Early symptoms can include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches. Some patients later develop coughing and shortness of breath as the lungs fill with fluid. The CDC says there is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection, and severe cases may require breathing support, oxygen therapy, or dialysis depending on the syndrome involved.

The CDC says hantavirus pulmonary syndrome can become deadly once respiratory symptoms appear, with about 38 percent of patients who develop respiratory symptoms dying from the disease.

The WHO told the BBC that detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing. "Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing," the WHO said. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said the risk to the wider public remains low and there is no need for panic or travel restrictions. "The risk to the wider public remains low," Kluge said, according to both BBC and CBS News reports. "There is no need for panic or travel restrictions."

Cape Verde has kept the vessel offshore pending evacuation planning. The ship's crew and passengers remain under observation while health authorities work to arrange further medical care and evacuation for those who need it.

What's Next

Further laboratory testing and WHO investigation of the five suspected cases are ongoing. The British passenger remains in intensive care in South Africa. Oceanwide Expeditions continues to coordinate medical evacuation and care for the two crew members with acute respiratory symptoms. The ship remains anchored off Cape Verde while authorities plan next steps and arrange additional medical support for the remaining people on board.