Three individuals have lost their lives on the MV Hondius cruise ship, while a British citizen is in critical condition, following the confirmation of a hantavirus case onboard. Hantavirus infections are commonly associated with exposure to the environment contaminated by urine or feces from infected rodents. Transmission of the virus from person to person is rare.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified six suspected cases of hantavirus on the MV Hondius, which was traveling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde in Africa. A Dutch couple, aged 70 and 69, succumbed to the disease. Additionally, a 69-year-old British man has been hospitalized in Johannesburg for intensive care treatment. Passengers on the cruise are currently awaiting permission to disembark.