Cruise Passengers Seek Answers After 3 Deaths, Illnesses Plague Ship
on May 04, 2026 • Updated May 06, 2026
This article was originally published on May 4, and was updated on May 6.
It Is Believed That A Hantavirus Outbreak Has Afflicted Some Of The Passengers And Crew
It’s been seven weeks since a cruise ship from Oceanwide Expeditions left Ushuaia, Argentina, but three of its passengers have died from a mysterious illness.
Additionally, two crew members and another passenger are potentially infected.
The World Health Organization (WHO) suspects that the disease afflicting the crew and passengers aboard the MV Hondius is hantavirus, but the Dutch-based cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions has been quick to state on social media on May 4 that “hantavirus has not currently been confirmed in the two persons still on board who require medical care.”
Further, Oceanwide Expeditions stated, “Nor has it been established that the virus is connected to the three deaths associated with this voyage. The exact cause and any possible connection are being investigated.”
However, hours before Oceanwide Expeditions’ statement, the WHO said in a May 3 post on X, formerly Twitter, that the passenger who is currently ill has been confirmed by a laboratory test to have contracted hantavirus.
As word of a possible hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius became known, the cruise ship was barred from docking at Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa.
Now, as of May 6, the ship is bound for the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain, with Oceanwide Expeditions saying:
“[Oceanwide Expeditions] remains in close and continual discussion with relevant authorities regarding the exact point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and a precise timeline.”
May 6 also saw the three individuals who are suspected of having similar illnesses as the three passengers who died transported ashore.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the three individuals will receive treatment in the Netherlands.
Three suspected #hantavirus case patients have just been evacuated from the ship and are on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands in coordination with @WHO, the ship’s operator and national authorities from Cabo Verde, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands.… pic.twitter.com/olQBk6tdGk
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 6, 2026
Among the 146 people remaining on board, 17 are American.
See the WHO’s full post on the illnesses aboard the MV Hondius, here:
WHO is aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases. Of the six affected individuals, three have died… pic.twitter.com/SqMAAZzoID
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 3, 2026
What Is Hantavirus?
While hantavirus is uncommon in the United States, with only 890 cases being observed in the United States from 1993 to 2023, it is considered a serious disease on a global scale, CNN detailed.
According to the CDC, “People get hantavirus from contact with rodents like rats and mice, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva. It can also spread through a bite or scratch by a rodent, but this is rare.”
One disease within the family of hantavirus is the Andes virus, which the CDC notes has been known to be transmitted from person to person.
It is notable that the late Betsy Arakawa, 65, the classical pianist who was married to Gene Hackman, was found to have died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Arakawa and Hackman were found deceased at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Feb. 26, 2025.
Timeline Of MV Hondius Passenger And Crew Illnesses
On Oceanwide Expedition’s website, a timeline of the heath-related incidents aboard MV Hondius have been outlined.
The timeline begins on April 11 with the death of a passenger on board the MV Hondius.
“The cause of death could not be determined on board,” Oceanwide Expeditions states, adding that by April 24 the deceased passenger and his wife disembarked to the island nation of Saint Helena.
By April 27, the deceased passenger’s wife was dead. Both were Dutch nationals.
That same day, April 27, “another passenger became seriously ill and was medically evacuated” to Johannesburg, South Africa.
As of May 4, this passenger, a British national, “is currently being treated in the intensive care unit in Johannesburg and is in a critical but stable condition” despite having been confirmed to have contracted “a variant of hantavirus.”
On Saturday, May 2, another passenger — of Germany — died on the MV Hondius.
The cause of death for the three deceased passengers has not yet been confirmed.
Oceanwide Expeditions then states, “There are currently two crew members on board with acute respiratory symptoms, one mild and one severe. Both require urgent medical care.”
The cruise company adds, “At this time, no other persons with symptoms have been identified.”
Among the three other potentially infected individuals, who are being transported to the Netherlands for treatment as of May 6, one of them is closely affiliated with the passenger who died on May 2.
According to Oceanwide Expeditions, this individual is asymptomatic while the two crew members are in “serious condition.”
Watch A Passenger’s Emotional Message From Aboard The MV Hondius
One of the passengers aboard the MV Hondius, named Jake Rosmarin, shared a tearful statement about the experience on the cruise ship.
“What’s happening right now is very real for all of us here,” he said. “We’re not just a story. We’re not just headlines. We’re people — people with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home.”
He added that he hopes to “feel safe,” have “clarity,” and hopes “to get home.”
It is not clear what MV Hondius’ next steps are.
Watch his full statement, here:
@jakerosmarin I also want to acknowledge that Oceanwide Expeditions and the entire crew onboard have been handling this situation to the best of their ability, and I’m very grateful for their efforts throughout. It’s not easy for me to talk about this, but I am doing well. ❤️
♬ original sound – Jake | Travel | Boston ✈️🗺️
In a follow-up statement on May 4, Jake wrote, “Everyone onboard is doing okay, and the focus continues to be on keeping everyone safe and informed.”
He added, “I also want to recognize that Oceanwide Expeditions and the entire crew have been handling a very difficult situation with care, and I’m really grateful for everything they’re doing.”
This is a developing story.
