Hantavirus Cases on MV Hondius Continue to Rise According to WHO

MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 3, 2026. An outbreak of "severe acute respiratory illness" on board a cruise ship in the Atlantic has left two people dead and a third in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa's health ministry told AFP on May 3, 2026. The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde. The patient being treated in Johannesburg tested positive for a hantavirus, a family of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic fever, South African spokesperson Foster Mohale said. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) On May 2, 2026, the World Health Organization released a joint statement alongside Oceanwide Expeditions. The report outlined a potential Hantavirus outbreak that was occurring on a transatlantic journey on the ship MV Hondius from Argentina to Cape Verde on Africa’s west coast. In reality, the outbreak began almost a month before the statement was […]