Two Indians Among Crew on Luxury Cruise Ship Hit by Hantavirus Outbreak

LONDON, May 8: Two Indian nationals are among the crew members aboard the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, which has reported a hantavirus outbreak that has already claimed three lives and infected several passengers, according to international media reports.
The luxury vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed from Ushuaia in Argentina on April 1 for an extended voyage and is scheduled to reach Spain’s Canary Islands on May 10. Around 150 passengers and crew members from 28 countries were travelling on board at the start of the journey.
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that five out of eight suspected hantavirus cases on the ship have tested positive. Among the fatalities are a 69-year-old Dutch woman who was confirmed to be infected, her husband, and a German passenger. Investigations into the deaths are still underway.
According to reports, the multinational crew and passenger list includes 38 people from the Philippines, 31 from the United Kingdom, 23 from the United States, 16 from the Netherlands, 14 from Spain, nine from Germany, six from Canada, and two crew members from India.
Health officials are now focusing on contact tracing after dozens of passengers disembarked from the vessel at St Helena, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, on April 24. Oceanwide Expeditions said 29 passengers representing at least 12 nationalities left the ship there. The body of one deceased Dutch passenger was also removed from the vessel at the island stop.
The WHO has clarified that the current outbreak does not indicate the beginning of a global pandemic. Infectious disease epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said hantavirus spreads very differently compared to Covid-19 or influenza and requires close personal contact for transmission.
Authorities have instructed passengers and crew onboard the MV Hondius to wear face masks and follow strict health precautions. WHO officials also advised caregivers and medical staff dealing with suspected cases to use higher-grade protective equipment.
Traditionally, hantavirus infections are linked to exposure to infected rodents. However, health experts noted that the latest cases aboard the cruise ship have shown evidence of person-to-person transmission, raising concern among public health agencies.
Several countries are now monitoring passengers who recently left the vessel as precautionary measures continue ahead of the ship’s scheduled arrival in Europe.