Mystery Illness Eyed In Deaths Aboard Luxury Cruise

What began as a weeks-long luxury polar cruise has turned into a deadly outbreak, with three passengers dead, and a rare rodent-borne virus might be to blame.

The MV Hondius was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde — after completing visits to Antarctica earlier in its voyage — when a 69-year-old Dutch man died last month from the suspected hantavirus. Days later, his wife also died. On April 27, a British passenger was evacuated and tested positive for the virus. The third death, involving a German national, was reported Saturday.

Following the latest fatality, the cruise line reached out to local authorities for additional support.

Hantavirus, which is transmitted through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, typically begins with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, and body aches, before potentially progressing to breathing problems and possible lung or heart failure.

Roughly 150 people remain on board as authorities assess the situation. The ship has reportedly sought assistance after being denied permission to dock in the West African island nation of Cape Verde, according to the New York Post.

One of the passengers, Jake Rosmarin, took to social media to express the gravity of the situation, saying the outbreak is not just a news report, it’s their lived reality.

Cruise passenger sobs about being stuck on cruise ship where 3 have died in hantavirus outbreak https://t.co/btzN1Fg8la pic.twitter.com/pe6GMQvkoe

— New York Post (@nypost) May 4, 2026

“I’m currently onboard the MV Hondius, and what’s happening right now is very real for all of us right now,” he said. “We’re not just a story. We’re not just headlines. We’re people. People with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home. There’s a lot of uncertainty, and that’s the hardest part.”

He continued, “All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity, and to get home. So if you are seeing coverage about this, just remember that there are real people behind it, and that this isn’t something happening far away. It’s happening to us, right now.”

Medics are working to evacuate two additional passengers showing hantavirus symptoms.