Cruise Ship Denied Docking Due to Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak

A hantavirus outbreak on an Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship has caused 3 suspected deaths and multiple illnesses, according to NBC News.¹ With up to 150 individuals still on board and experts working diligently to uncover more details, the ship has been refused to dock.

“Hantavirus itself is a rare viral disease spread by breathing in particles from infected rodent droppings. Because rodents can live in many different environments, it’s important to be aware of potential exposure in a variety of settings,” Robert H. Hopkins, MD, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), told Drug Topics. “Early symptoms of hantavirus can look like many common viral illnesses—fever, headache, muscle aches, nausea with [potential] vomiting or diarrhea, and fatigue. However, the illness can worsen quickly, leading to serious breathing problems or kidney failure, which is why it can be life-threatening.”

The MV Hondius is currently stationary off the port of Praia, having traveled from Ushuaia, Argentina, with stops in Antarctica and the British territory of Saint Helena. Cape Verdean Health Minister Maria da Luz Lima has prohibited the 149 people on board from disembarking to protect the nation’s public health, according to CNN.²

This isolation comes amid reports of a Dutch couple dying—the husband on the ship and the wife in a South African hospital—and a German national also succumbing to unknown causes. A British national remains in critical condition in Johannesburg, representing the only laboratory-confirmed case of the virus so far.^1,2

READ MORE: “Canary in the Coal Mine:” Navigating the 2026 Measles Resurgence After Eliminating the Disease

For the pharmacy community, this outbreak highlights the clinical difficulty of early detection, as symptoms like fever, headache, and myalgia are easily confused with influenza. Hantaviruses are enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses that enter host cells through receptor-mediated endocytosis. They are often associated with exposure to rodents.^1,3-5

According to the US Pharmacist, pharmacists in acute care settings are critical during the cytokine storm phase, where the immune response causes vascular permeability and pulmonary edema. Because there is no FDA-approved treatment or vaccine for hantavirus in the US, pharmacists must manage supportive care, which includes fluid monitoring, electrolyte balance, and the administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics while diagnostic results are pending.⁴

The clinical presentation often bifurcates into 2 severe syndromes. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, found in the Western Hemisphere, can lead to a 38% mortality rate as lungs fill with fluid. Conversely, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, more common in Europe and Asia, primarily targets the kidneys and may require pharmacists to coordinate dialysis or manage acute shock.^3,4

Although research into antiviral therapies like ribavirin has shown conflicting clinical benefits, prevention remains the most effective tool. Community pharmacists can play a vital role by educating patients on minimizing rodent contact and using bleach solutions when cleaning potentially contaminated areas.^3-5

“The pharmacist plays a vital role in the interdisciplinary care team, providing appropriate pharmaceutical recommendations to address symptoms and input on antimicrobial broad-spectrum drugs and assisting in monitoring critical laboratory results and adverse reactions to treatments,” wrote authors of the US Pharmacist report on hantavirus.⁴ “Structured meetings involving health care professionals from various disciplines facilitate discussions of patient care, improve communication, and enhance patient outcomes, which can add immense value. Therefore, pharmacists must know about hantavirus signs, symptoms, diagnostic criteria, pathophysiology, treatment options, prevention strategies, and discharge recommendations.”

Public health experts are particularly concerned about the potential for human-to-human transmission, a rare trait associated with the Andes virus strain endemic to the ship’s origin in South America.^2,4

Although WHO emphasizes that the current public risk is low, the 1993 Four Corners outbreak serves as a reminder of how quickly these zoonotic events can escalate.^1,4,5

As the MV Hondius awaits permission to sail toward the Canary Islands, the international medical community remains on alert for further confirmation of this rare but deadly virus.^1,5

“If a patient’s symptoms suggest hantavirus and the right lab tests are done, the diagnosis is not especially difficult to confirm. There is no specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus,” concluded Hopkins from NFID. “Care focuses on supporting the patient, such as giving fluids, managing fever and other symptoms, and providing breathing support if lung problems develop. Dialysis may be needed if kidney failure occurs.”

READ MORE: Infectious Disease Resource Center

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REFERENCES

1. Smith P. Cruise ship at center of suspected deadly hantavirus outbreak refused permission to dock. NBC News. May 4, 2026. Accessed May 4, 2026. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/hantavirus-cruise-ship-docking-cape-verde-hondius-who-rcna343415

2. Harvey L, Ronald I. Three cruise ship passengers dead, others ill after suspected hantavirus outbreak. Here’s what we know. CNN. May 4, 2026. Accessed May 4, 2026. https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/03/africa/atlantic-hantavirus-cruise-ship-dead-latam-intl

3. About hantavirus. CDC. May 13, 2024. Accessed May 4, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/about/index.html

4. Solomon B. Hantavirus infection review. US Pharmacist. September 16, 2025. Accessed May 4, 2026. https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/hantavirus-infection-review-1

5. Montoya Bryan S. What to know about the suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. AP News. May 4, 2026. Accessed May 4, 2026. https://apnews.com/article/what-to-know-hantavirus-cruise-ship-366c781ff168656ff47ae9796965daaa