A British crew member is in need of urgent medical care following a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius, which is currently stranded off the coast of Cape Verde. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed seven cases of hantavirus, including three deaths, among passengers and crew from 23 countries.
The WHO reported that as of 4 May 2026, there were two laboratory-confirmed cases and five suspected cases of hantavirus. The deceased include a married couple from the Netherlands and a German national. A 69-year-old British tourist is in intensive care in South Africa in a critical but stable condition, while a British crew member and a Dutch crew member are showing acute respiratory symptoms, one severe.
The cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, stated that the first death occurred on 11 April, with the cause undetermined at the time. Subsequent deaths and illnesses have been linked to hantavirus, a disease typically spread by rodents that can cause severe respiratory illness. The ship has been denied docking in Cape Verde to protect public health, and alternative disembarkation points such as Las Palmas or Tenerife are being considered.
Passengers remain in isolation onboard amid uncertainty. American travel blogger Jake Rosmarin expressed the emotional toll, saying, 'We’re not just headlines: we are people... There’s a lot of uncertainty, and that’s the hardest part.' The ship, which departed from Argentina in March, was on an 'Atlantic Odyssey' cruise visiting remote islands.
