Three dead as hantavirus outbreak hits cruise ship off Cape Verde

Three people have died aboard a cruise ship following a suspected hantavirus outbreak. At least three other passengers and two crew members are currently sick. The MV Hondius is anchored in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde. Oceanwide Expeditions operates the vessel and confirmed the deaths. The ship remains off the coast of Africa.

The World Health Organization describes the situation as a suspected hantavirus outbreak. Oceanwide Expeditions did not specify the exact virus causing the illness. One sick passenger is being treated in intensive care in Johannesburg. Two crew members on board require urgent medical attention.

Cape Verdean authorities have not allowed guests needing care to disembark. They have also denied requests for medical screening support. Local health officials visited the ship to assess the sick individuals. No decision has been made regarding transferring patients to Cape Verde hospitals. Oceanwide Expeditions prioritizes ensuring adequate and fast medical care for those on board.

Hantavirus is a rare and deadly rodent-borne infection. It killed Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, in February 2025. The virus is uncommon in the United States. Only one or two people die from it annually. Approximately 1,000 cases occurred globally in the past thirty years.

Most cases involve farmers, hikers, campers, and homeless individuals. The virus spreads when people inhale aerosolized rodent waste. This includes fecal matter, urine, or saliva from infected rodents. Researchers first identified the disease in South Korea in 1978. Scientists isolated the virus from a field mouse at that time.

Hantavirus claims the lives of approximately 40 to 50 Americans annually, with the vast majority of infections concentrated in the Southwest. According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 864 confirmed cases have occurred between 1993 and 2022. Globally, the toll is far higher, with an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 cases each year, primarily in China.

Symptoms typically emerge within one to eight weeks after exposure to infected rodents. Victims first suffer from fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, chills, and digestive distress. If untreated, these early signs progress into severe respiratory failure characterized by shortness of breath, chest tightness, and fluid accumulation in the lungs after four to 10 days. There is no specific cure; medical teams rely on supportive care including rest, hydration, and breathing assistance. Consequently, the CDC reports that nearly 38 percent of patients developing respiratory symptoms die from the illness.

The tragedy in Santa Fe last year highlighted the virus's lethality, as actress Betsy Arakawa was found dead in her shared home with her husband, Gene Hackman. Her death underscores the danger posed by this obscure pathogen. While the United States sees fewer infections than Asia or Europe due to a limited number of susceptible rodent species, the disease remains a critical threat. In the U.S., deer mice serve as the primary carriers, though recent research suggests the virus's reach is expanding.

David Quammen, a science writer who accurately predicted the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, warned that surging hantavirus cases could trigger global implications. He noted that while the virus originated in Korea, it appeared in the Four Corners region of the U.S. in 1992 and began claiming lives. Quammen explained that finding the virus in both the U.S. and Korea was not surprising because the pathogens constitute a global group. Recent detections in five Arizona residents and four Nevada residents last year indicate a potential upward trend. In 2024 alone, seven confirmed cases resulted in four deaths.

Three individuals in remote Mammoth Lakes, California, also succumbed to the virus last year, despite state health officials stating they were not engaged in activities typically associated with exposure. To mitigate risk, officials advise airing out spaces contaminated by mouse droppings, avoiding sweeping, using disinfectants, and wearing protective gear like gloves and masks.

New findings from Virginia Tech researchers reveal that while deer mice remain the primary reservoir, the virus circulates more widely than previously understood. Antibodies detected in six additional rodent species demonstrate the pathogen's biological flexibility. Although 79 percent of positive blood samples came from deer mice, other rodent species showed infection rates between 4.3 and 5 percent. Virginia recorded the highest infection rate among rodents, with nearly 8 percent of samples testing positive—four times the national average of around 2 percent. Colorado and Texas followed with infection rates more than twice the national average, confirming their status as high-risk regions.