How a dream Antarctic cruise became a hantavirus nightmare

The story of the ocean cruise which has suffered a hantavirus outbreak has gripped the world.

At least three people are dead on the MV Hondius ship operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, with two cases being confirmed. Meanwhile, at least two of the crew are displaying respiratory symptoms.

But those on board the ship went weeks without being aware that one of the passengers had already died. Jake Rosmarin, for example, put up a video about cows he had spotted on a remote volcanic island in the Atlantic on May 2. There was little to hint at any trouble and that the ship was set to go into quarantine.

The trouble begins

Then, on the evening of May 2, things changed. Rosmarin wrote, "For those who have seen recent news, yes, I am currently onboard the M/V Hondius." He said he did not wish to say more, "out of respect for those involved." The next day, as the ship remained off the Cape Verde islands with no permission to offload its passengers and crew, a visibly distraught Rosmarin said, "What's happening right now is very real for all of us."

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"We're not just headlines. We're people with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home," he added, his voice trembling as he choked back tears, a ring on his ring finger visible in the frame. "All we want is to feel safe and to get home," he said. That was two days after conveying his excitement at spotting a critically endangered Wilkins's Finch on Nightingale Island.

About 150 people remain stuck on the ship, which had been visiting some of the most remote places on Earth, including Tristan da Cunha, an island in the South Atlantic between Argentina and South Africa, where Rosmarin filmed the cows. Three people on board — a Dutch couple and a German national — have died, the operator said.

According to official information, the MV Hondius hosts 170 passengers in 80 cabins with a crew of 57, 13 guides and one doctor. The ship's length is 107.6 metres, breadth is 17.6 metres and draft is 5.3 metres. It is a Polar Class 6 (equivalent 1A-Super) ship with a displacement of 5,590 tonnes and a speed of 15 knots. Image/Firstpost via Oceanwide Expeditions

Rosmarin did not immediately respond to a request for comment via text message, but his post was a rare insight into the atmosphere on the M/V Hondius. The first stricken passenger, the Dutch man, died on April 11, as the ship steamed towards Tristan da Cunha. His body remained on board until April 24, when it "was disembarked on St Helena, with his wife accompanying the repatriation," the ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said in a statement on Monday.

Three days later, the man's wife also fell sick and later died, while another passenger, a Briton, became "seriously ill and was medically evacuated to South Africa," the company said. South African authorities have confirmed that the British patient, who is being treated in a Johannesburg hospital, tested positive for the hantavirus. The Netherlands has confirmed the virus in the Dutch woman who died.

The journey

The Hondius left Ushuaia in southern Argentina in March, according to company documentation, on a voyage marketed as an Antarctic nature expedition, with berth prices ranging from $16,000–$25,000. It travelled past mainland Antarctica, the Falklands, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan, St Helena, and Ascension before reaching Cape Verdean waters on May 3.

On May 1, the ship's chef, Khabir Moraes, posted a joyful video of himself and colleagues swimming in the ocean off a rubber dinghy, the cruise ship anchored in the background. "The day was pleasant and the depth was 4,700 metres," he said, commenting in the video about his colleagues laughing as they hauled him back onto the dinghy.

Moraes did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment sent via text message. Reuters could not establish if he was aware of the deaths before he made his post. The following day, another passenger died, Oceanwide said in Monday's statement, adding that the cause had not yet been established and that the passenger was of German nationality.

The situation now

Oceanwide Expeditions said Cape Verdean health authorities had not yet granted permission for a medical evacuation of the ship and screening of its passengers. It is now considering sailing on to Las Palmas or Tenerife for this purpose. Hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents but can be transmitted between people in rare cases, according to the World Health Organization.

As concern mounts in South Africa, health authorities said there was no need for locals to be concerned about the virus spreading onshore, while Cape Verde authorities also put out a statement to calm fears, saying that since the ship has remained at sea, "there is currently no risk to the population on land".

FAQs

1. What is hantavirus and how does it spread?

Hantavirus is a virus primarily spread through contact with infected rodents, their urine, droppings, or saliva. In rare cases, certain strains can spread between humans.

2. How many people have died in the MV Hondius outbreak?

At least three people — a Dutch couple and a German national — have died, with additional suspected or confirmed infections onboard.

3. Why has the ship not docked or evacuated passengers?

Cape Verdean authorities have not yet granted permission for evacuation or screening, leaving the ship stranded at sea while options like sailing to Tenerife or Las Palmas are considered.