Three dead, two Indians trapped aboard cruise ship at centre of deadly hantavirus scare

Two Indian crew members are among the 149 people currently aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, where a deadly hantavirus outbreak has already claimed three lives and triggered an international health response.

According to a nationality-wise passenger and crew list released by Oceanwide Expeditions and cited by India Today, the vessel has people from 23 countries onboard, including tourists and crew members from India, the United States, Great Britain, Germany and Spain.

However, the cruise operator has not disclosed the identities, roles, or medical status of the two Indian nationals. The outbreak aboard the expedition cruise ship has raised fresh global concern after multiple passengers developed severe respiratory symptoms during the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

Also Read | What went wrong aboard the MV Hondius? Inside the deadly hantavirus outbreak

Three dead as investigations continue aboard MV Hondius

The outbreak has so far killed a Dutch couple and a German passenger, while several others remain under medical observation.

One critically ill patient has already been evacuated from the ship for urgent treatment.

According to the World Health Organization, symptoms linked to the outbreak were first officially reported on May 2. Investigators believe the virus may have been contracted before passengers boarded the ship, particularly during travel in parts of Argentina and Chile.

The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was sailing toward the Canary Islands after beginning its expedition journey from Argentina.

Health agencies across multiple countries are now tracing passengers and possible contacts connected to the ship as concerns grow around the spread of the rare virus.

Passenger recalls life onboard after first death

A video shared by passenger and vlogger Cenet has added to public concern around the handling of the outbreak onboard.

In the footage, the ship’s captain can reportedly be heard informing passengers about the first death aboard the vessel.

“This is my sad duty to inform you that one of our passengers suddenly passed away last night,” the captain said in the video.

According to the passenger’s account, travellers were initially assured that the death was due to “natural causes” and normal activities aboard the ship continued for several days afterward.

“Knowing that we didn’t get isolated and we didn’t take any caution for a solid 12 days is a very sad situation,” Cenet said in the video, adding that passengers continued dining together and interacting freely without masks.

The vlogger also said he eventually isolated himself from the rest of the passengers and began taking meals inside his cabin.

WHO monitoring rare Andes strain concerns

Health authorities believe the outbreak may involve the Andes strain of hantavirus — one of the few known variants capable of limited human-to-human transmission under close-contact conditions.

Also Read | Hantavirus scare on cruise ship: Death toll rises as WHO begins global contact tracing

Hantavirus is primarily spread through exposure to infected rodent urine, saliva or droppings. The World Health Organization has stated that the overall risk to the wider public remains low, although monitoring efforts are ongoing.

The MV Hondius remains under close international scrutiny as health officials coordinate passenger tracing, treatment and containment measures.