Three passengers have died, and at least three others fell ill in a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius, a Netherlands-based polar expedition cruise ship sailing the Atlantic Ocean. The World Health Organization disclosed the incident on Sunday, confirming one laboratory-tested case while investigating five suspected infections among the six affected individuals.

The victims included a 70-year-old Dutch man who developed fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea before dying upon arrival at St. Helena Island. His 69-year-old wife became ill on board, collapsed at O.R. Tambo International Airport in South Africa, and died at a nearby hospital in Kempton Park. The body of a third unidentified passenger remains onboard, with Dutch authorities arranging repatriation.

A 69-year-old British national tested positive for hantavirus, fell ill between St. Helena and Ascension Island, and was medically evacuated to a private facility in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he remains in intensive care. Two other symptomatic individuals, reportedly crew members, require urgent medical care, but Cape Verde authorities have not permitted their disembarkation despite assessments by local health officials.

The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions with a capacity for about 170 passengers and 70 crew, departed Ushuaia, Argentina, around three weeks ago for stops including Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena, and Ascension before heading toward Cape Verde and Spain's Canary Islands. The ship has been anchored off Praia, Cape Verde's capital, for over 24 hours as of early Monday.

Oceanwide Expeditions stated it is monitoring the situation, providing medical support and screening passengers, though it noted hantavirus has not been confirmed in the two onboard cases or directly linked to the deaths. "The priority is to ensure that the two symptomatic individuals onboard receive adequate and expedited medical care," the company said.

Hantavirus, carried by rodents and typically spread through inhaling dust contaminated with their urine, droppings, or saliva, causes flu-like symptoms progressing to severe respiratory distress or kidney failure. Person-to-person transmission is rare but documented with the Andes virus strain in South America. There is no specific treatment, only supportive care like ventilation, with fatality rates around 38% to 50% in severe cases.

The WHO is coordinating a multicountry response involving laboratory testing, virus sequencing, and epidemiological investigations across affected islands and nations. South Africa's National Department of Health, which treated two patients, conducted contact tracing through its National Institute for Communicable Diseases and emphasized that no public panic is needed. Dutch and UK authorities are supporting their nationals, with the UK Foreign Office monitoring the situation.