What is hantavirus? The deadly illness infecting a cruise ship with Irish passengers on board
The MV Hondius ship, which is operated by OceanWide Expeditions, was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean when passengers began to fall ill
The World Health Organisation (WHO) have confirmed that two cases of hantavirus have been detected following an outbreak on a cruise ship carrying two Irish passengers. Five more cases are also suspected.
The MV Hondius ship, which is operated by OceanWide Expeditions, was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean when passengers began to fall ill. From here, one British man is now in intensive care and confirmed as having the virus while a female passenger, who died after leaving the ship, also tested positive.
This woman’s husband passed away while on board, along with a third passenger. The causes of deaths have not yet been established and the vessel is carrying 147 passengers and crew.
A spokesperson for WHO said, “As of 4 May 2026, seven cases (two laboratory confirmed cases of hantavirus and five suspected cases) have been identified, including three deaths, one critically ill patient and three individuals reporting mild symptoms. Illness onset occurred between 6 and 28 April 2026 and was characterized by fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock. Further investigations are ongoing.”
According to the organisation, hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans. People usually get infected through contact with the infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva.
Infection in humans can result in severe illness and often death, although the diseases vary by type of virus and geographical location. In the Americas, infection has been known to lead to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, a rapidly progressive condition affecting the lungs and heart. However, in Europe and Asia, it has been known to lead to haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which primarily affects the kidneys and blood vessels.
While there is no specific treatment that cures hantavirus, early medical care is key to improve survival. This focuses on close clinical monitoring and management of respiratory, cardiac and kidney complications. Prevention depends largely on reducing contacts between people and infected rodents.
The vessel is currently anchored off Cape Verde and the Department of Foreign Affairs has said it is aware that there are two Irish passengers on board.
It has been reported by The Irish Times that one of these passengers is Cork woman Ann Lane, who previously worked as a personal assistant to both former president Mary Robinson and Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik.
She described her condition and that of her Irish friend to the outlet as “fine”, adding “we can’t really do anything at the moment so it’s a case of ‘hang in there’ and the company will sort everything out.” Ms Lane said the atmosphere on board was calm as the crew were keeping everyone informed of all developments.