Suspected Hantavirus Kills Three on Stranded Cruise Ship in Atlantic

A suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has killed three people and left about 150 passengers and crew stranded on board. Health officials are investigating how the rare, often fatal illness spread and whether it could infect more aboard the Dutch vessel.

The virus typically spreads to humans through contact with contaminated rodent waste. Officials say limited human-to-human transmission is possible. Maria Van Kerkhove, World Health Organization director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said that may explain some cases. "We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that's happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who've shared cabins," Van Kerkhove told reporters Tuesday.

The couple died after time on the MV Hondius during a weekslong polar expedition. Oceanwide Expeditions, the operator, said a 70-year-old Dutch man died on board April 11. His 69-year-old wife died about two weeks later in South Africa after disembarking; her blood tested positive for hantavirus, according to South Africa's Health Ministry. A British passenger evacuated to South Africa on April 27 also tested positive and remains critically ill.

At least four more suspected cases exist, Van Kerkhove said, including a fatal infection in a German passenger whose body is still on board. Three others are sick, per Oceanwide Expeditions and Ann Lindstrand, WHO representative for Cape Verde. Cape Verde sent medical teams Monday but barred the ship from docking. Lindstrand said officials believe the three sick people have hantavirus and planned their helicopter evacuation Tuesday. She said no rodents were found on board and traps showed no signs of them.

WHO stated an investigation, quarantine and contact tracing are underway to find the outbreak's origins. Van Kerkhove suggested the Dutch couple contracted the virus exploring wildlife in Argentina before the cruise. "The cruise did stop at many different islands up the coast of Africa, and, again, seeing a lot of different wildlife on those islands. There are birds. Some islands have a lot of rodents. Others don't," she said. The agency assumes the virus came from outside the ship.

Hantaviruses cause severe respiratory symptoms and death worldwide, per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People usually get it from airborne rodent droppings, urine or saliva. The Andes virus strain, common in South America, has spread person-to-person. The ship departed from Argentina, CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Céline Gounder noted Tuesday. "This cruise ship took off from Argentina, which is why we're wondering, is it the usual kind [of hantavirus], or is it a kind that can be transmitted person-to-person?"

Argentina saw the largest Andes outbreak in 2018 with 34 cases and 11 deaths, Gounder said. Human-to-human spread requires prolonged close contact, and the virus is not pandemic-level. U.S. cases total fewer than 900 over 30 years.

The ship heads to Spain's Canary Islands after evacuations. Spain's Health Ministry said epidemiologists will review the vessel Tuesday afternoon to assess people on board, check for symptoms and identify contacts to guide repatriation and routing. Passengers and crew could stay aboard up to eight weeks due to the virus's incubation period, Lindstrand said.

Travel blogger Jake Rosmarin said in a Monday social media video, "There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part. All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home."

"We have heard from quite a few people on the boat," Van Kerkhove said. "We just want you to know we are working with the ship's operators. We are working with the countries where you are from. We hear you. We know that you are scared."