By now, it’s likely you’ve seen the headlines about suspected cases of hantavirus onboard a cruise ship. The story has made international headlines, with the AP, The New York Times, BBC, and countless others covering the story.
So what’s the latest for those that are just getting caught up? The details can get lost in the headlines sometimes, so we put together this primer to help you get up to speed.
Three Passengers Have Died
First and foremost, the biggest headline by far is that three passengers sailing aboard the M/V Hondius — an Oceanwide Expeditions ship — have died.
One passenger, a Dutch national, died onboard the ship. That passenger’s wife, who disembarked about two weeks later in Saint Helena to accompany the repatriation, fell ill and also died.
Finally, a German passenger died onboard the ship on May 2nd.
Of the three fatal cases, currently only one — the person who disembarked in Saint Helena — has been officially confirmed as having hantavirus.
Two Crewmembers and One Passenger Have Fallen Ill
In addition to the three passengers that have died, there are three others that have fallen ill. This includes a British passenger who was medically evacuated to South Africa in late April and is being treated.
There are also two crew members on the ship with respiratory issues, which the cruise line says one is mild and one is severe, but “both require urgent medical care.”
There Are Only Two Confirmed Case of Hantavirus
Despite the three deaths and the additional three people being sick, it’s not definitive that all these cases are hantavirus.
According to the cruise line’s statement posted on its website, only two people — the British passenger evacuated to South Africa and the Dutch woman who debarked in Saint Helena — are confirmed to have a hantavirus case.
That said, it seems reasonable to suspect the other cases could well be hantavirus.
This All Started Happening Nearly One Month Ago
Perhaps most surprising given the surge in headlines is that this situation is nearly a month in the making.
The first passenger died on the M/V Hondius on April 11 — nearly an entire month ago. Then the second passenger passed on April 27 off the ship. The third passenger died May 2.
The Ship Sits Off the Cost of Cape Verde in the Atlantic
According to CruiseMapper.com, the ship — M/V Hondius — is sitting just a half-mile off the coast of the Cape Verde Islands and the city of Praia. The island chain is about 400 miles off the west coast of Africa in the Atlantic.
Reports are that authorities are not allowing the ship to dock. However, the cruise line says that “local health authorities have visited the vessel and assessed the situation.”
There are 149 People on the Ship From 23 Countries
When most people think of cruise ships, they imagine mega ships with 4,000 to 5,000 passengers onboard, sailing around the Caribbean.
M/V Hondius is not that. This is a much smaller, niche cruise. The ship currently has 149 people onboard. Of those, there are 88 passengers and 61 crew members.
Those onboard run the gamut of nationalities with 23 different countries represented. The top three nationalities onboard include Filipino (38 crew members), followed by British (19 passengers and four crew) and American (17 passengers).
As of Now, It’s Not Clear What Will Happen Next
Much like at the start of the pandemic when cruise ships weren’t able to debark passengers, we’re seeing something similar with the ship sitting off the coast of the Cape Verde Islands.
It’s not clear exactly what’s going to happen next with those onboard. In a statement from the company, they say:
“At this stage, a definitive disembarkation point for the remaining guests on board m/v Hondius has not been finalized. Sailing on to Las Palmas or Tenerife is being considered, where further medical screening and handling could take place, organized and supervised by the WHO and Dutch health services. This is yet to be confirmed.”
The company did say it is “actively preparing a medical evacuation” for two people showing symptoms and another person “associated with the guest” that passed on May 2. However, they also emphasized this is not confirmed and could change.
The Ship Is Part of Oceanwide Expeditions
If you’ve never heard of this cruise line, that’s not a surprise. It operates in a smaller niche of the industry, offering expedition cruises. These are trips sailing to more exotic locales with smaller ships.
The cruise line focuses primarily on Arctic and Antarctic cruises. Its fleet is just four ships and M/V Hondius is the largest. It carries only 170 passengers and is a bit over 350 feet in length. The ship was built in 2019.
Hantavirus Has Been in the News Recently
Hantavirus is carried by rodents and is spread to people through airborne particles from rodent droppings.
The virus then can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome that affects the lungs. According to the CDC, the symptoms start to show 1-8 weeks after contact. Thirty-eight percent of people that develop symptoms die.
It can also cause Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome, which usually takes 1-2 weeks after exposure. This is still serious, but less fatal, with the CDC saying 1-15% of cases are fatal, but recovery takes weeks to months.
If you feel like hantavirus sounds familiar, that may be because it was in the news recently. Betsy Arakawa, the wife of actor Gene Hackman, died of the virus last year in a story that gained international attention.
