THREE people have lost their lives amid an outbreak of illness aboard a cruise ship traversing the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Sunday.
The vessel involved is the MV Hondius, which was traveling from Ushuaia, Argentina, en route to Cape Verde when the health emergency unfolded. According to the global health body, one of the fatalities has been laboratory confirmed as a case of hantavirus — a disease most commonly passed on to humans through contact with infected rodents or their waste products.
In its latest update, the WHO stated that aside from the confirmed infection, there are five more individuals showing symptoms consistent with the disease, bringing the total number of affected people to six.
Tragically, half of this group have died, while one patient remains in critical condition and is currently receiving treatment in an intensive care unit in South Africa.
The situation was first disclosed earlier on Sunday by South Africa’s health ministry, which reported an outbreak of a “severe acute respiratory illness” aboard the ship, noting at least two deaths at the time and a third person fighting for their life in a Johannesburg hospital.
South African health department spokesperson Foster Mohale later clarified that the patient undergoing treatment in Johannesburg had tested positive for hantavirus, a group of viruses known to cause serious conditions such as hemorrhagic fever and severe respiratory failure.
The illness is traditionally linked to environmental exposure — particularly contact with the urine, faeces, or saliva of infected rats and mice — making it uncommon in settings like cruise ships, where rodent control measures are usually strictly enforced.
The WHO also issued a reminder that while human-to-human transmission of hantavirus is rare, it is still possible, and infections can progress rapidly into life-threatening conditions.
Authorities emphasized that close monitoring, proper supportive care, and swift public health responses are essential to managing such cases and preventing further spread. Investigations are ongoing to determine exactly how the virus was introduced and transmitted aboard the vessel, as health teams work to contain the outbreak and ensure the safety of all passengers and crew members.
