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Amid a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard an Antarctic cruise ship, a timeline shows how the situation unfolded — from the first reported illnesses at sea to ongoing efforts to trace passengers and contain the spread.
The outbreak, which originated aboard the MV Hondius, has been linked to at least three deaths and eight reported cases as of May 8, according to reports citing the World Health Organization.
Below is a timeline of the outbreak, as reported by the Associated Press.
HANTAVIRUS DEATHS ON CRUISE SHIP HIGHLIGHT DANGERS OF RODENT-BORNE DISEASE
April 1
The Dutch vessel, which is operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed from Ushuaia, a city in southern Argentina. Planned stops included Antarctica and several remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
April 6
A Dutch male passenger, 70, became ill with fever, headache and mild diarrhea. Prior to boarding, he and his wife had been sightseeing in Ushuaia and traveling through other parts of Argentina and Chile, according to the World Health Organization.
April 11
The Dutch man later developed respiratory distress and died on board. The cause of death was not immediately determined, according to the cruise company.
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April 15
Six passengers boarded the cruise during a stop at Tristan da Cunha, a group of remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. The Dutch man’s body remained on the ship.
April 24
The man’s body was removed from the vessel at the island of St. Helena. His wife disembarked, along with more than two dozen other passengers. The stop also marked the end of the cruise for some travelers, per AP.
April 25
The Dutch woman, who was experiencing symptoms of illness, rtook a commercial flight from St. Helena to South Africa with 88 passengers and crew members on board.
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April 26
The Dutch woman collapsed at an airport in South Africa while attempting to board another flight home and later died.
April 27
After the ship departed St. Helena, a third passenger, a British man, became ill. He was evacuated to South Africa and placed in intensive care with a high fever, shortness of breath and symptoms of pneumonia.
Health authorities in South Africa and Switzerland have identified the circulating hantavirus strain as the Andes virus on May 6.
April 28
A German woman became ill on board the MV Hondius as the ship headed toward Cape Verde off Africa’s west coast.
May 2
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The German woman died on board nearly a month after the first passenger became ill, marking the third fatality.
The British man being treated in South Africa tested positive for hantavirus.
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May 3
The World Health Organization announced it is investigating a suspected hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship, which had entered waters off Cape Verde.
May 4
In light of the British man’s positive result, South African health officials conducted a posthumous test and confirmed that the Dutch woman who collapsed at an airport and later died was also infected with hantavirus.
The World Health Organization officially classified the situation as an outbreak.
May 5
Authorities in Cape Verde refused the ship’s requests to evacuate additional sick individuals or allow passengers and crew to disembark, creating a standoff. The country sent health workers to provide assistance on board, but no one was allowed off. Two crew members, including the ship’s doctor, became seriously ill, and another was placed under monitoring.
May 6
The three individuals — two of whom tested positive for hantavirus – were evacuated from the ship and flown to specialized hospitals in Europe. The vessel headed for Spain’s Canary Islands after authorities agreed to receive it.
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Officials in Switzerland later reported another confirmed hantavirus case in a man who had disembarked earlier in St. Helena, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to five.
Health authorities in South Africa and Switzerland identified the circulating strain as the Andes virus, the only hantavirus believed to spread from person to person, which is found in South America.
May 7
Health authorities in Switzerland, Britain, the Netherlands, France, Singapore, South Africa and other countries have isolated former passengers who have already left the ship and are tracing those who may have been in contact with them.
May 8
The ship approached Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where authorities are organizing an evacuation and repatriation effort involving several countries. Spanish officials say passengers will be screened on board before being quarantined or flown home.
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Authorities on Tristan da Cunha said a resident who may have been in contact with cruise passengers has been hospitalized with symptoms.
Additionally, two New Jersey residents who were not on board the ship are being monitored after possible exposure during air travel abroad, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.
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