Key points

• Three passengers have died and three others are unwell on a polar expedition cruise ship sailing between Argentina and Cape Verde
• Hantavirus has been laboratory-confirmed in one case, with five suspected
• The vessel has been identified as Oceanwide Expeditions' m/v Hondius; WHO and Dutch authorities are coordinating the response
• Most hantaviruses don't spread person-to-person, but the Andes virus type found in Argentina and Chile is a known exception
• The risk to travellers remains very low

Background: the Arakawa case

In early 2025 we reported on the strange hantavirus death of Betsy Arakawa who died from lung complications. There had been a lot of speculation on her cause of death after she was found with her deceased husband, Gene Hackman, in their New Mexico home.

We now have another situation where hantavirus is implicated but the circumstances surrounding it are quite confusing!

The cruise ship outbreak - what we know so far

According to news reports, three people have died and three others are unwell. Hantavirus has been identified in one person. All were passengers on a cruise ship sailing between Argentina and Cape Verde. The ship is state of the art and specifically designed for polar conditions (both for the Arctic and Antarctica). It carries just 180 people and was most likely returning from southern Argentina to Cape Verde.

The vessel has since been identified as Oceanwide Expeditions' polar expedition ship m/v Hondius. In an operational update issued on 3 May 2026, the operator confirmed that two symptomatic individuals on board were awaiting authorisation from Cape Verdean authorities for medical disembarkation, that Dutch authorities are leading repatriation efforts in coordination with WHO and the Dutch national public health institute (RIVM), and that one affected passenger is being treated in intensive care in Johannesburg.

If this outbreak is due to hantavirus, then what is the typing and where was it contracted?

These are important questions. It is probably why WHO has become involved so early. The early identification of hantavirus is impressive.

Why person-to-person transmission matters here

We don't normally associate person to person transmission with hantavirus, but we do with the Andes virus type which is found in Argentina and Chile. The virus was first described in 1995. Wild rodents, particularly the long tailed pygmy rat are the natural animal reservoir of the disease and humans become infected through exposure to their excreta.

In 2018, an outbreak of hantavirus in the Chubut province of Argentina was responsible for 34 confirmed cases and 11 deaths. Most cases were diagnosed in the village of Epuyen. Many exposed individuals were quarantined and the outbreak was contained.

The incubation period for the disease is somewhere between 2 and 5 weeks. Investigators will be piecing together the movements of all those infected to identify the source and when transmission from person to person might have occurred. It is likely the source is in Argentina.

About hantaviruses

Hantaviruses are a group of viruses mostly carried by rodents (mice, rats, voles). More than 20 species have been identified globally.

Hantavirus disease has been recognised for hundreds of years but the aetiologic agent was only first identified in field mice in 1976. It is named after the Hantan River in South Korea, near to where the field mice were found. The disease was commonly described in rural workers in the region.

Hantavirus is mostly transmitted to humans by inhalation and possibly by a bite. Outbreaks are often associated with rapid increases in the rodent population in a known area for the disease.

Hantavirus risk to travellers

Hantavirus is an emerging global infectious disease. The risk to travellers is very low.

Large outbreaks have been reported in Russia and China. Cases are reported annually in the USA, Canada and South America. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 864 cases of hantavirus disease (both forms) have been reported in the United States (1993 to the end of 2022).

Respiratory tract issues are common in travellers. Hantavirus cardiopulmonary disease (HCPD) would not be high on the differential list. It might be considered in someone with a history of travel to areas of risk. This is important as survival of the severe form of the disease is very much dependent on early diagnosis and treatment.

Other chest diseases of consideration in a traveller include influenza, bacterial pneumonia, whooping cough, mycoplasma, legionella, melioidosis, plague, tularemia, leptospirosis and tuberculosis.

Planning a cruise or travel to South America?

While the risk of hantavirus to travellers remains very low, cruising and remote-region travel come with their own health considerations. Our doctors can help you prepare with pre-travel advice tailored to your itinerary, including routine and destination-specific vaccinations and a sensible medical kit.

Read more about healthy cruising, or book a telehealth consultation with one of our travel medicine doctors.

Dr Bob Kass has since written a follow-up opinion piece on the public health response: What should our public health messages be on the hantavirus cruise outbreak?