The MV Hondius, a Dutch-operated polar expedition vessel, remains anchored off the coast of Praia, Cape Verde, today, May 4, 2026, as health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) manage a deadly outbreak of suspected hantavirus.
The ship, carrying 149 people (88 passengers and 61 crew) from 23 different countries, has been denied permission to dock while medical teams assess the risk of transmission.
Casualties and Medical Status
Fatalities: Three passengers have died.
A 70-year-old Dutch man died on board near St. Helena.
His 69-year-old wife died after collapsing at an airport in South Africa while attempting to fly home.
A German national died on May 2; their body remains on the ship.
Confirmed Case: A British passenger who was medically evacuated to a private hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, is currently the only laboratory-confirmed case of hantavirus. He remains in critical condition.
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Active Cases: Two crew members (one British, one Dutch) are currently symptomatic on the ship and require “urgent medical care.” A possible new case involving a passenger with a mild fever was also reported today.
The Current Standoff in Cape Verde
Entry Denied: Cape Verdean authorities have prohibited any disembarkation to protect the local population. While medical teams have boarded the ship three times to evaluate the sick, they have not yet authorized their transfer to land-based hospitals.
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Repatriation Plans: The Dutch Foreign Ministry and Oceanwide Expeditions are coordinating a complex plan to evacuate the symptomatic individuals and the deceased via air ambulance.
Contingency: If the standoff in Cape Verde continues, the operator is considering sailing north to Las Palmas or Tenerife in the Canary Islands (EU territory) for medical screening and disembarkation.
Risk Assessment
The WHO has emphasized that while hantavirus is severe, the risk to the general public remains low.
Transmission: Hantavirus is typically spread through contact with rodent droppings or urine. While person-to-person transmission is extremely rare, experts are investigating whether this outbreak involves a communicable strain (like the Andes variant).
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Origin: The ship recently traveled from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Antarctica and several remote South Atlantic islands. Investigators are looking into whether the infection occurred at a South American port or from rodents on the vessel itself.
Among the stranded passengers are 17 Americans, 19 Britons, and 13 Spaniards. They currently remain in isolation on the ship as the international “multi-country response” continues.
