{"id":8931,"date":"2026-05-05T13:50:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=8931"},"modified":"2026-05-05T13:57:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:57:18","slug":"extremely-rare-human-to-human-transmission-is-suspected-on-cruise-ship-where-three-have-died-from-rat-borne-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=8931","title":{"rendered":"MV Hondius Hantavirus Outbreak | Human-to-Human Hantavirus Transmission | Cape Verde Cruise Ship Virus"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Rare Human-to-Human Hantavirus Transmission Suspected in Deadly Cruise Ship Outbreak<\/h2>\n

A suspected outbreak of the deadly, rat-borne hantavirus<\/b> has claimed the lives of three passengers and sickened at least seven others aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius<\/i>.<\/p>\n

As the luxury expedition vessel remains stranded off the coast of Cape Verde, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a startling update: the virus may be spreading directly between passengers\u2014an incredibly rare phenomenon.<\/p>\n

The WHO Warning: Rare Human Transmission<\/h3>\n

Hantavirus is typically contracted when humans inhale airborne particles from the dried droppings, urine, or saliva of infected rodents. Human-to-human transmission is extraordinarily rare, with only a few suggested cases previously recorded in Argentina and Chile.<\/p>\n

However, because several infected patients on the MV Hondius<\/i> had “very close contact with each other,” the WHO is shifting its protocols.<\/p>\n

“Certainly, human-to-human transmission can\u2019t be ruled out, so, as a precaution, this is what we are assuming,” stated Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO\u2019s director for epidemic preparedness. She was quick to add a reassuring caveat for the general public: “This is not a virus that spreads like flu or like Covid. It’s quite different. The risk to the general public is low.”<\/p>\n

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\"Three<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Three people have died so far from the rare rat-borne virus on the Dutch-flagged vessel, which set off in March to sail from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Maria<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A Timeline of the MV Hondius Tragedy<\/h3>\n

The MV Hondius<\/i>, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed Ushuaia, Argentina, in March with roughly 150 passengers and crew, heading toward Cape Verde. The crisis unfolded over several weeks:<\/p>\n

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    April 11:<\/b> A 70-year-old Dutch passenger dies as the ship sails toward Tristan da Cunha. His body remained on board for nearly two weeks until he was disembarked in St. Helena on April 24, accompanied by his 69-year-old wife.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Late April:<\/b> Three days after disembarking, the man’s wife falls severely ill and subsequently dies. Meanwhile, another passenger (a 69-year-old Briton) becomes critically ill, is evacuated to a South African hospital, and officially tests positive for hantavirus.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    May 2:<\/b> A third passenger, a German national, dies on board the ship.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Currently, two crew members\u2014including the ship’s British doctor, who had been treating patients around the clock\u2014are suffering from acute respiratory symptoms and require urgent medical evacuation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    \"Speaking<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    Speaking aboard the MV Hondius ship, US travel blogger Jake Rosmarin released a tearful plea for support<\/p>\n<\/div>\n