Cruise ship still docked off Cape Verde as hantavirus outbreak continues
Argentina CountryCabo Verde CountryGermany CountryMexico CountryNetherlands CountrySouth Africa CountrySpain Country
(4 May 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Praia, Cape Verde - 4 May 2026 1. Various OF MV Hondius off the coast of Praia, Cape Verde STORYLINE: A Dutch cruise ship with nearly 150 people aboard was waiting for help off the coast of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after a suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus killed three passengers and left at least three others seriously ill, the World Health Organization and the ship's operator said. The MV Hondius, which was on a weeks-long polar cruise from Argentina to Antarctica and then several isolated islands in the South Atlantic, had requested help from local health authorities on Sunday after making its way to the island of Cape Verde off the coast of West Africa, but no one has yet been allowed to disembark, the company operating the cruise said. There are 88 passengers — including one who has died — and 61 crew members, two of whom are sick, onboard, the operator said Monday. The passengers include 17 Americans, 19 from the U.K. and 13 from Spain, among other nationalities. The three passengers to die were from the Netherlands and Germany. The German remains on board. A British man is in intensive care in South Africa. Hantaviruses, which are found throughout the world, are a family of viruses spread mainly by contact with the urine or faeces of infected rodents like rats and mice. They gained attention after actor Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus infection in New Mexico last year. She was not immediately found and her ailing husband died around a week later from heart disease. In rare cases, hantavirus infections can be spread between people, WHO said. There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can increase the chance of survival. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: info@aparchive.com. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/389a6a1cf72b43d29c55c3bc109ae255