A Dutch couple who died following a hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius are believed to have contracted the illness during a birdwatching trip in Argentina, authorities have said.
Investigation Points to Birdwatching Excursion
Argentine officials stated that their leading theory is that the two passengers, both aged 69, were exposed to the rodent-borne virus while visiting a landfill site in the city of Ushuaia before boarding the vessel. The couple joined the ship on April 1, 2026. The husband developed flu-like symptoms five days later and died on April 11. His wife later fell ill and died in Johannesburg on April 26 after traveling through Saint Helena.
Family Mourns the Loss
The family of the couple expressed their grief, saying: "We cannot yet comprehend that we have to miss them. We want to bring them home in peace and remember them."
International Health Response Underway
The outbreak aboard the luxury cruise liner has triggered an international health response after several more suspected and confirmed cases emerged during the ship's voyage towards Cape Verde. Images showed ambulance boats carrying crew members in hazmat suits traveling between the port of Praia and the ship as evacuations took place.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said contact tracing had begun for passengers who traveled with the Dutch woman on a flight between Saint Helena and Johannesburg. "Contact tracing for passengers on the flight has been initiated," the WHO said in a statement. According to South African airline Airlink, there were 82 passengers and six crew members onboard the April 25 flight.
First Recorded Cases in Tierra del Fuego
Argentine authorities noted that Ushuaia and the surrounding Tierra del Fuego province had never previously recorded a hantavirus case. A German national also died aboard the ship on May 2, although officials have not confirmed whether the passenger had contracted the virus.
Confirmed and Suspected Cases
Health authorities said five people have now been confirmed to have hantavirus, while three more suspected cases are being monitored. A British passenger remains in intensive care in South Africa after being evacuated from the vessel at the end of April. Swiss officials also confirmed a hantavirus case involving a passenger from the first leg of the cruise, who later sought treatment in Zurich after receiving an email warning about the outbreak.
Medical Evacuations Continue
Three individuals, including the ship's British doctor, were medically evacuated from the cruise ship on Wednesday. Two were reported to be in serious condition and tested positive for the virus, while another person remained asymptomatic but had close contact with the German passenger who died.
Understanding Hantavirus
Hantavirus is typically spread through exposure to infected rodent urine, saliva, or droppings, although the WHO believes rare human-to-human transmission may have taken place aboard the ship. The illness can cause severe respiratory disease known as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, as well as a kidney-related condition called Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome. Early symptoms often resemble flu and include headaches, fever, dizziness, nausea, and abdominal pain. Severe cases can lead to breathing difficulties, kidney failure, internal bleeding, and shock.
Low Public Health Risk
Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, said the wider public health risk remained extremely low. "It means it is very easy to isolate people who are unwell and to follow quarantine and so on to avoid spread to other people," he said.
Ship's Journey to Continue
The evacuation operation means the ship is now expected to continue its journey to the Canary Islands after Spanish authorities granted permission for the vessel to dock.
