The South African Department of Health has confirmed the deaths of two international tourists and the critical illness of a third following a severe acute respiratory infection linked to a cruise ship that recently passed South African waters.
Health authorities said the cases were reported from passengers aboard the MV Hondius, which was travelling from Ushuaia in southern Argentina to the Canary Islands. The vessel, carrying approximately 150 tourists from various countries, had been at sea for about three weeks, making stops near Antarctica and several remote islands, including the Falklands, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, St Helena and Ascension.
According to the department, the first fatality involved a 70-year-old male passenger from the Netherlands who fell ill during the voyage between Ushuaia and St Helena. He presented with symptoms including fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. He died shortly after the ship arrived at Saint Helena, where his remains are currently being held pending repatriation.
A second victim, a 69-year-old woman and spouse of the first patient, collapsed at O.R. Tambo International Airport while in transit to return home to the Netherlands. She was rushed to a medical facility in Kempton Park but later died. Laboratory results to confirm the cause of her illness are still pending.
A third case involves a British national who became ill while the ship was travelling between St Helena and Ascension Island. Despite receiving initial medical treatment at Ascension Island, his condition deteriorated, prompting a medical evacuation to a private hospital in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed that the patient tested positive for Hantavirus, a rare but potentially fatal disease typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings. The patient remains in critical condition and is being treated in isolation.
Health officials emphasised that, despite the seriousness of the cases, there is currently no cause for widespread public concern. “Only two of the affected patients were within South African borders,” the department said in a statement, adding that the risk to the general public remains low.
Authorities from the Gauteng Department of Health, working in collaboration with the NICD, have initiated contact tracing procedures to identify and monitor individuals who may have come into contact with the infected passengers. These efforts aim to prevent any potential spread of the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is coordinating a multi-country response involving all affected territories and countries along the ship’s route. This includes information sharing, surveillance and containment measures to limit further transmission.
Departmental spokesperson Foster Mohale said the situation is being closely monitored, with updates to be provided as more information becomes available, particularly regarding outstanding laboratory results.
Health officials continue to urge vigilance but stress that South Africa’s health systems are equipped to manage and contain isolated cases of infectious diseases.
