How an ocean cruise turned into a hantavirus nightmare
Summary
A cruise aboard the M/V Hondius was quarantined off Cape Verde following a suspected hantavirus outbreak that resulted in three deaths and passengers stranded on board.
Key Points
- A suspected hantavirus outbreak on the M/V Hondius cruise ship caused at least three deaths.
- The ship was quarantined off the Cape Verde islands and denied permission to offload passengers and crew.
- The first victim died on April 11, with deaths continuing as the ship traveled remote Atlantic islands.
- South African officials confirmed a British patient tested positive for hantavirus, and the Netherlands confirmed it in a deceased Dutch woman.
