A cruise ship operating in the South Atlantic has become the center of a rare hantavirus outbreak, prompting health authorities across multiple continents to coordinate response efforts. Three patients were evacuated Wednesday from the vessel near Cape Verde, with two confirmed cases of hantavirus infection and one suspected case. The evacuees—a 41-year-old Dutch national, a 56-year-old British national, and a 65-year-old German national—were transported to hospitals in Europe, with two reported to be in serious condition. The ship subsequently departed Cape Verde with approximately 150 people remaining on board, all isolated in their cabins, en route to Spain’s Canary Islands in a journey expected to take three to four days.
The outbreak has resulted in three deaths to date, with one fatality remaining on the vessel. Of eight recorded cases, five have been confirmed through laboratory testing. Authorities have identified the pathogen as the Andes virus, a species of hantavirus native to South America, particularly Argentina and Chile. The leading hypothesis among Argentine officials investigating the outbreak’s origin suggests that a Dutch couple contracted the virus while bird-watching in Ushuaia before boarding the ship, potentially following exposure at a landfill during their tour.
The ship departed South America on April 1 and made stops across remote Atlantic locations including Antarctica, South Georgia, and several isolated island territories. Additional cases have been identified in passengers who disembarked at various stops, including confirmed infections in Switzerland and South Africa, as well as individuals who have returned to the United Kingdom. Contact tracing efforts are ongoing across multiple nations, with health officials in Europe and Africa working to identify individuals who may have had contact with infected passengers.
Health officials have emphasized that hantavirus typically spreads through inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings, though person-to-person transmission is rare and occurs only through close contact. The World Health Organization has stated that the risk to the general public remains low and noted this marks the first hantavirus outbreak identified on a ship. No specific treatment or cure exists, though early medical intervention can improve survival outcomes. Officials stressed that asymptomatic passengers and crew members aboard the ship pose no risk to the public upon arrival in the Canary Islands.
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