Two Indian crew members on board Dutch ship in Atlantic where several deaths occurred due to Hantavirus

Nw Delhi: Three people died due to a Hantavirus infection aboard the 'MV Hondius'—a luxury cruise ship operated by a Dutch company in the Atlantic Ocean. Eight individuals have also tested positive for Hantavirus, considered one of the world's deadliest and rarest viruses. A total of 149 people, including crew members, are currently on board the cruise ship. India Today had requested detailed information regarding the passengers and crew from the company operating the vessel. This inquiry revealed that three Indian crew members are also on board the cruise ship.

Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch polar travel company operating the MV Hondius, shared details regarding the passengers and crew with India Today. According to information received from the company on May 4, citizens from a total of 23 countries are on board the cruise ship. The majority of the passengers are reported to be tourists from the UK, the US, Germany, and Spain. As for the crew, the roster consists primarily of nationals from the Philippines, Ukraine, the Netherlands, and Poland. Amidst the list of crew members hailing from these nations, two names stood out, establishing a connection between this story and India.

According to the Dutch company, there are 61 crew members on board the cruise ship; the largest contingent—38 members—hails from the Philippines. There are five crew members each from Ukraine and the Netherlands, and two from India. These Indian crew members are among the thousands of employees who work to operate such cruise ships and vessels. Two of the crew members on board have ties to India. Their nationality has been confirmed; however, the Dutch company has not provided any information regarding their current status.

Oceanwide Expeditions has stated that it will share only verified information. Consequently, the company declined to provide any additional details regarding the Indian crew members. The company also failed to disclose the specific roles performed by the Indian crew members on board, their current health status, or whether they had come into contact with any infected passengers. It is noteworthy that the Andes strain of the Hantavirus, which has spread on this cruise ship, can be transmitted among humans; however, the virus does not spread through the air, nor does it spread merely through casual proximity. This virus is transmitted only through very close contact—such as between spouses, cabin mates, or doctors treating patients without protective gear. This cruise ship, operated by a Dutch company, had departed from the southern tip of Argentina on April 1st.

Passengers aboard this cruise had gone on a bird-watching tour in Ushuaia. The Argentine investigative team believes that this specific tour may have been the source of the infection. Ushuaia is considered to be the southernmost city in the world. It is suspected that the virus was introduced to the cruise ship by a Dutch couple who had participated in this tour. At the time, the couple experienced no symptoms of illness. They boarded the ship, completely unaware that they were carrying one of the world's rarest and most lethal viruses.

How Did the Onset of Fatalities Come About?

On April 11, a passenger aboard the cruise ship passed away. The cause of this death could not be determined at the time. On April 24th, the body was disembarked at Saint Helena, where the deceased's wife accompanied the remains. On April 27th, Oceanwide Expeditions received word that the wife's health had deteriorated during the return journey, and she, too, subsequently passed away. Both individuals were Dutch nationals.

On April 27, another passenger fell critically ill and was transported to South Africa to receive medical attention. This individual is currently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a hospital in Johannesburg; their condition is reported to be critical but stable. A variant of the Hantavirus has been detected in this patient.

The tragic sequence of passenger deaths aboard the cruise ship did not end there. On May 2, a German passenger also passed away while still on board the vessel. By that time, an alert had already been issued to the World Health Organization (WHO), and the ship had been ordered to make a stopover in Cape Verde. Currently, the ship has departed from Cape Verde and is heading toward Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands.

Three critically ill passengers aboard this cruise have been evacuated via air ambulance. The remaining passengers are scheduled to disembark on May 11. European health agencies are currently working to trace more than 80 passengers who traveled with the infected woman before her illness had even been confirmed.

How ​​Risky is Hantavirus for India?

India is not entirely unfamiliar with Hantavirus. A study conducted in Tamil Nadu in 2008 confirmed 28 cases among warehouse workers, farmers, tribal communities, and rat catchers. In 2021, a mine worker was also found to be infected with Hantavirus. For India, the real concern is not an infection spreading on a ship, but rather the low rate of detection. Doctors often mistake Hantavirus for Dengue or Leptospirosis. This outbreak serves as a reminder that the world's most dangerous pathogens do not require passports. They travel right alongside us—within a speck of dust, along a forest trail, or aboard a ship crossing the Atlantic.