Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius linked to Betsy Arakawa death, WHO reports cases

The World Health Organization confirmed on May 3, 2026 that a hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch-operated expedition cruise ship MV Hondius is being investigated. At least one passenger has tested positive, five more infections remain under investigation; six reported cases in total, including three deaths, with one patient in intensive care in South Africa. The ship, carrying roughly 150 passengers and about 70 crew, departed Ushuaia, Argentina, and had traveled through Antarctica and remote Atlantic islands before approaching Cape Verde. The deaths include a 70-year-old passenger who died onboard, and his 69-year-old wife who died after medical evacuation to Johannesburg; a 69-year-old British national remains in ICU in Johannesburg after developing symptoms near Ascension Island; two additional symptomatic passengers were being evaluated for evacuation and isolation. The outbreak has renewed attention to hantavirus, which is typically linked to exposure to rodent urine or droppings, though human-to-human transmission can occur in rare cases.

In March 2025, officials revealed that Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

Gene Hackman died about a week after Arakawa, around February 18, 2025, from cardiovascular disease complicated by advanced Alzheimer's disease.

Authorities say Betsy Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome at the couple’s Santa Fe home around February 11, 2025.