At least three people have died aboard a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean in suspected cases of hantavirus infection, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch an investigation and patient evacuation operation.
Deaths on Cruise Ship… WHO Suspects Hantavirus
According to the Associated Press on Tuesday (local time), the WHO said at least three people have died and more than three others are showing symptoms in suspected hantavirus infection cases aboard a cruise ship navigating the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the cases has been confirmed as hantavirus infection, while another patient is being treated in the intensive care unit of a South African hospital. The WHO is transferring additional symptomatic patients from the vessel.
The name of the ship has not been officially disclosed, but South African local media reported that the outbreak occurred on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship 'MV Hondius,' which was traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde.
The vessel departed from Argentina and was bound for Spain's Canary Islands as its final destination. Approximately 150 passengers were aboard.
South African health authorities said, "The first fatality was an elderly man who died on board, and his wife subsequently died at a hospital."
What Is Hantavirus… An Infectious Disease Discovered at Korea's Hantan River
Hantavirus is a virus transmitted when humans inhale urine, feces, or saliva from rodents such as rats, or contaminated dust. Human-to-human transmission has generally not been reported.
The virus became internationally known through cases involving U.S. soldiers stationed in Korea during the Korean War in the 1950s. In 1976, the late Korean scientist Dr. Lee Ho-wang isolated the causative virus from the lung tissue of striped field mice. It was subsequently named 'Hantaan virus' after the Hantan River and is now commonly known as hantavirus.
Hantavirus infection primarily causes 'Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS).' The acute illness begins with high fever, headache, muscle pain, and vomiting, and can progress to kidney failure, hemorrhage, and shock, with a mortality rate of approximately 5 to 15 percent.
In particular, the Hantaan virus carried by striped field mice in rural areas causes severe illness, while infections transmitted through urban house mice are relatively mild or often asymptomatic, with a fatality rate of around 1 to 2 percent.
"Similar to a Cold but Dangerous"… Prevention Is Best
Hantavirus infections have been reported by the hundreds annually in Korea in recent years. HFRS is classified as a Class 3 legally designated infectious disease in Korea, with cases concentrated particularly during the autumn months of October to December.
In 2020, an army soldier in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, died after becoming infected during weeding work. Critics pointed out at the time that although he had shown initial symptoms such as fever, his death resulted from delays in proper testing and medical transfer.
Approximately 150,000 cases are estimated worldwide each year, and in the United States, 864 cases were reported from 1993 through 2022. The infections occur primarily in states such as New Mexico and Colorado, with small-scale outbreaks continuing in recent years.
In 2025, attention surged after it was revealed that the wife of Hollywood actor Gene Hackman had died of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome.
Experts emphasize that "hantavirus is a treatable disease when diagnosed early" and that "early response determines survival rates."
However, there is currently no definitive cure, and treatment consists of supportive care such as intravenous fluid therapy after hospitalization. Mechanical ventilation may be required if respiratory failure develops, and dialysis may be necessary if kidney failure accompanies the infection.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency recommends the following preventive measures: avoiding mountains and grasslands in endemic areas (particularly October to December), not touching field mouse droppings, washing clothes and showering after outdoor activities, and vaccinating high-risk groups such as soldiers, farmers, and laboratory workers.
