St Helena Traces Dozens of Passengers After Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius Cruise
Health authorities are urgently tracing passengers who disembarked from a Dutch cruise ship, the MV Hondius, on the remote island of St Helena. The vessel, which departed from southern Argentina on 1 April, has been linked to a hantavirus outbreak, with eight cases identified – three confirmed and five suspected.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship's operator, stated that 30 individuals, including the body of one deceased guest, left the MV Hondius on 24 April. The Dutch government reported a higher figure of 40 passengers. Among those who disembarked was a 69-year-old Dutch woman who later died in South Africa. A Swiss national, also disembarking in St Helena, has since been diagnosed with hantavirus.
Two other fatalities occurred aboard the ship, which is now expected to dock in Spain's Canary Islands. The first confirmed hantavirus case was not reported until 4 May. Three additional individuals – British, Dutch, and German nationals – were evacuated from the ship, with the British man, 56-year-old Martin Anstee, reported in stable condition.
St Helena, a British Overseas Territory with a population of approximately 4,400, is coordinating with the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and international partners. Local officials on Tristan da Cunha, also part of the British Overseas Territory, are advising islanders who travelled on the MV Hondius to self-isolate as a precaution. Argentina's health ministry has initiated rodent testing in Ushuaia, the ship's departure port.