South African health authorities have confirmed two deaths from an acute respiratory infection aboard a cruise ship travelling in the Atlantic Ocean, while a third passenger remains in intensive care, as investigators work to determine the cause of the illness.
The fatalities occurred on board the MV Hondius, a polar expedition vessel operated by Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, which was sailing from Ushuaia in southern Argentina to Cape Verde when passengers began falling ill.
According to South African authorities, the first reported case involved a 70-year-old passenger who became seriously ill while at sea and later died on board the vessel.
His 69-year-old wife was subsequently evacuated for medical treatment to South Africa, where she was admitted to hospital in Johannesburg but later died despite intensive care.
A third passenger from the same voyage has been hospitalised in critical condition in Johannesburg and has tested positive for Hantavirus, a rare but potentially severe illness that can cause respiratory complications.
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Health officials, however, stressed that it remains unclear whether the cases are directly linked, and no definitive diagnosis has yet been confirmed for all patients involved.
“I can confirm that two people have died from acute respiratory infection,” said Foster Mohale, adding that investigations were ongoing to determine the exact cause of the outbreak.
He said there were currently no additional reported cases among passengers or crew members, suggesting the situation may be contained to a small number of individuals.
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The MV Hondius is a specialist expedition cruise ship used for polar and remote-region tourism, carrying international passengers on long-distance voyages through the Atlantic and Southern Ocean regions.
Authorities have not disclosed how many passengers were aboard at the time of the incident, but expedition cruises of this type typically carry a limited number of travellers alongside scientific staff and crew.
The emergence of respiratory illness aboard a confined vessel has raised concerns among public health experts, as cruise ships are known environments where infectious diseases can spread more easily due to close living quarters and shared facilities.
However, officials have so far stopped short of declaring any outbreak, emphasising that there is no evidence of wider transmission.
Hantavirus, the infection detected in one of the hospitalised patients, is typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their droppings, urine or saliva. Human-to-human transmission is rare, and most cases are linked to environmental exposure rather than direct person-to-person spread.
Health authorities in South Africa have not confirmed whether environmental exposure occurred on the ship or whether the infection was contracted earlier during the voyage.
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The Department of Health said it is working with maritime authorities and international partners to trace the possible source of infection and assess whether further preventive measures are required.
Medical teams are also reviewing the timeline of symptoms among passengers to determine whether the cases share a common origin or represent unrelated illnesses occurring coincidentally during the same voyage.
The incident comes as global health authorities continue to monitor respiratory infections more closely following increased awareness of outbreak risks in confined travel environments, including cruise ships and long-haul transport.
Cruise operators have in recent years strengthened onboard medical protocols following previous outbreaks of infectious diseases at sea, though rare cases still occur, particularly on remote expedition routes.
For now, South African officials have urged caution, saying it is too early to draw conclusions about the nature of the illness or the risk to other passengers.
Investigations are expected to continue in coordination with the ship’s operators and international health agencies, while laboratory results and epidemiological data are analysed to establish the cause of the deaths.
Authorities have reiterated that no further illnesses have been reported, but monitoring remains ongoing as the vessel’s journey and passenger health records are reviewed in detail.
