Three cruise ship passengers have died and a fourth is in intensive care after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus in the south Atlantic Ocean.

Two of the victims are reported to be a Dutch couple, a 70-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife. The Dutch foreign affairs ministry confirmed they were from the Netherlands but did not say if they were related.

A 69-year-old British man in hospital in Johannesburg receiving intensive care treatment, while two crew members are being treated on board.

The Dutch-flagged vessel, the MS Hondius, sailed from Argentina on March 20 on a 46-day voyage and is currently lying off the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa. The ship has a capacity of 170 passengers, 58 crew and 13 tour guides.

The islands have not given permission for the passengers and crew to be brought ashore, but local medical authorities have visited the ship to assess the two sick crew members.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said one of the victims had tested positive for hantavirus, a respiratory illness that is carried by rodents and transmitted through contact with droppings and urine. The disease can be transmitted between humans, but the WHO said this is rare.

.@WHO is working closely with Member States and a ship’s operators in response to suspected cases of hantavirus detected onboard a cruise liner.

WHO is facilitating medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, conducting a full risk assessment, and supporting affected… https://t.co/nNzEmEdxbw

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 3, 2026

The five other symptomatic passengers are suspected of having contracted the virus. Further screenings and tests are being carried out.

The Netherlands is leading the repatriation of the body of the man, who died after falling ill in mid-April, and the two crew members, along with another passenger who is not sick but was closely associated with the two Dutch victims.

The 69-year-old Dutch woman died in Johannesburg after being airlifted to hospital. A spokesman for the South African health ministry was quoted saying the man died on St Helena and his remains were awaiting repatriation, but the Dutch foreign ministry did not confirm this.

Polar expeditions

Oceanwide Expeditions, a company that specialises in trips to the polar regions, is operating the cruise, which was scheduled to travel from Argentina to the Canary Islands via Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and St Helena.

The company said it was working closely with local and international authorities, including the WHO, the Dutch foreign ministry and the Netherlands public health agency RIVM.

“The priority of Oceanwide Expeditions is to ensure that the two symptomatic individuals on board receive adequate and expedited medical care,” the company said in a statement.

“We are in close contact with those directly affected and their families and are providing support where possible.”