The Hantavirus Cruise: A Ship of Fools
The MV Hondius cruise has been dubbed the 'Ship of Fools' after a passenger infected with the deadly Andes strain of hantavirus boarded without detection, leading to a global exposure risk. Despite the man's death on board and his wife's subsequent illness and death, 34 passengers and crew were allowed to disembark and travel worldwide, spreading potential infection. Health authorities across multiple countries are now tracing contacts and monitoring for symptoms, as the incubation period can last up to seven weeks.
- ▪A 70-year-old birdwatcher infected with the Andes hantavirus died on board the MV Hondius after visiting a rat-infested dump in Argentina.
- ▪His wife died shortly after being removed from a flight in Johannesburg, and another passenger from the same flight is being tested in Spain.
- ▪Thirty-four passengers and crew were allowed to leave the ship at St. Helena and travel globally before any containment measures were taken.
- ▪The ship's command did not test the cause of death or implement infection control protocols until nearly a month later.
- ▪The World Health Organization eventually evacuated the remaining passengers using strict biocontainment procedures, with infected Americans quarantined in Nebraska and hospitalized in Atlanta.
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The Hantavirus Cruise: A Ship of Fools Betsy McCaughey 9:00 AM | May 17, 2026 AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell On April 1, 114 guests and 61 crew members, unaware of the presence of a killer virus among them, boarded the MV Hondius. That ship has earned the moniker "Ship of Fools." Because of the top brass's reckless disregard of infection control principles, the ship's passengers and thousands of people around the world have been exposed to the rare Andes strain of the hantavirus, a disease found in rat urine and feces, and which has a 40% mortality rate.
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