An unusual outbreak of hantavirus that broke out on the MV Hondius cruise ship off the African coast has already killed three people and is causing panic across the globe. Here’s what you need to know about it.
What is hantavirus?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “hantaviruses are a family of viruses which can cause serious illnesses and death,” in humans when they lead to the development of diseases like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Typically, they are spread by rodents, the CDC said.
A 2011 study explained that hantaviruses have a “tripartite-segmented negative-sense RNA genome,” meaning that it has three RNA segments that encode a nucleocapsid protein that is then processed to two envelope glycoproteins (Gn and Gc) and the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp).
Hantavirus was first identified in the Hantaan River area in Korea, per Harvard Health Publishing. The U.S. began tracking cases in 1993 after an outbreak in the area where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. Last year, actor Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arawaka reportedly died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in their New Mexico home, where rodent feces were found.
Mice and other rodents often carry the hantavirus, Harvard Health Publishing noted. It added that humans can contract the disease when they come into contact with infected rodents or their saliva, urine, and droppings.
“It’s rare that we see people infected with hantavirus in general,” Leah Bauck, an epidemiologist with the Minnesota Department of Health said. “Even though person-to-person transmission is possible with a certain type, it isn’t as compatible for transmission as some other types of diseases that we may think of, when we think about large outbreak situations.”
Why this outbreak is unusual
MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, to the Canary Islands via Cabo Verde on March 20, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. It was carrying 147 people, including crew members.
On May 2, a cluster of severe respiratory illness was reported aboard the ship. By this Thursday, two cases of hantavirus infection have been laboratory confirmed and five others are suspected. Among those, three fatalities have been recorded and one patient was in critical condition Thursday. They were receiving medical care in South Africa. The other three individuals are experiencing mild symptoms.
Though the cluster was identified this month, symptoms onset actually began as early April through April 28, said the Africa CDC. Symptoms included fever and gastrointestinal issues followed by rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock.
“The index case died on 11 April 2026 while on board; the remains are currently in Saint Helena [a British overseas territory] pending repatriation to the Netherlands,” the Africa CDC added.
According to the World Health Organization, that individual was an adult male. A woman who was in close contact with him later died upon arrival to an emergency department in South Africa, the WHO said. Both the man and the woman had travelled in South America, including Argentina, before boarding the ship.
As Bauk noted, hantaviruses don’t usually spread from person to person. However, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said the hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius has been identified as Andes hantavirus, “the only hantavirus which can be transmitted person-to-person, typically requiring close and prolonged contact.”
Person-to-person transmission of hantavirus was previously reported in Argentina in 2014, according to a study published in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal.
Per the European CDC, “measures are already in place on board to reduce the likelihood of infection among passengers and crew.” It also said the risk to the general population in Europe remains very low based on the current evidence and that widespread transmission is not expected.
“We’re not too far removed from COVID, so I think that it is something that maybe seems a little bit scary, and it’s giving those flashbacks of what that was like when it first started,” said Bauck, who added that “hantavirus isn’t a new virus.”
Further complications
Still, there are some complications that are cause for concern – such that the current worldwide search for people who left the ship after the death of the first passenger who were not aware they were exposed to the virus. Forbes reported Thursday that Oceanwide Expeditions, operator of the cruise ship MV Hondius, said at least 29 living passengers disembarked the ship and went home after the death of the first passenger.
“Some are self-isolating at home in countries including Britain and Singapore,” and health officials are working to contact others. Forbes also said a Dutch flight attendant who developed mild symptoms is being tested for the disease after she came into contact with one of the deceased hantavirus patients.
Has hantavirus been found in the U.S.?
So far, there are no cases reported in the U.S. linked to this outbreak.
The New York Times reported that American officials said Wednesday that residents in three states – Arizona, California and Georgia – were being monitored for potential hantavirus infections after being on the cruise ship. None of the people being monitored in the U.S. have shown signs of illness, the officials said.
In addition to the Arawaka case, Hantavirus has been found in the U.S. before. From the time surveillance began in 1993 through the end of 2023, 890 total hantavirus cases were laboratory-confirmed in the nation.
“At this time, the risk to the American public is extremely low,” the CDC said Wednesday. “We urge all Americans aboard the ship to follow the guidance of health officials as we work to bring you home safely.”
Is there a cure for hantavirus?
“There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection,” according to the CDC. “Patients should receive supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of symptoms.”
Breathing tubes may be required to assist patient breathing when hantavirus develops into a respiratory infection. Dialysis may also be required to help with disrupted kidney function.
What comes next?
According to the European CDC, “significant uncertainties remain, and investigations are ongoing to determine where and how individuals contracted the virus, and the extent of exposure among passengers and crew.”
In the U.S., the CDC said that the administration of President Donald Trump is “closely monitoring the situation with U.S. travelers onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship with confirmed hantavirus,” and is working with international partners to mitigate risk.
Even though the experts have said that risk of widespread transmission is low, University of Colorado Health noted that it’s always a good idea to brush up on ways to prevent hantavirus infection. It advises caution when dealing with mice or mice droppings, frequent handwashing, use of ultraviolet light for sanitation and wearing protective gear such as face masks in high-risk situations are all good ways to decrease the risk of infection.
