Approximately 40 Passengers Disembarked from Hantavirus-Affected Cruise Ship at St. Helena

Approximately 40 passengers disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship at the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena following the first onboard death attributed to a hantavirus outbreak, Dutch officials reported. Among those who left was the wife of a Dutch man who had died earlier during the voyage. She subsequently traveled to South Africa, where she collapsed and later died in Johannesburg.

The Dutch foreign ministry confirmed that these passengers departed during the ship's stop at St. Helena, a British territory. The cruise company had previously stated that the Dutch woman disembarked with her husband's body but had not acknowledged that other passengers also left the vessel at that location.

Authorities in South Africa and Europe are currently working to trace contacts of the passengers who disembarked. A Swiss man, who also left the ship at St. Helena and returned home, has tested positive for hantavirus, though his exact movements remain unclear.

The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has resulted in three deaths and several illnesses among passengers and crew. The ship, which departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, 2026, has made multiple stops in remote regions, including South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, and Ascension Island.

Hantavirus infections are primarily acquired through contact with the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents. While human-to-human transmission is rare, it has been reported in previous outbreaks of the Andes virus, a specific species of hantavirus.

The World Health Organization is monitoring the situation and currently assesses the risk to the global population as low. Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the outbreak and to implement appropriate public health measures.