health
May 8, 2026
Captain of Hantavirus-Stricken Ship Told Passengers Dead Man Was ‘Not Infectious’
The captain of the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius cruise ship reassured passengers the first death was from “natural causes” and “not infectious,” according to new video.
TL;DR
- Captain Jan Dobrogowski assured passengers on the MV Hondius that the first death was due to 'natural causes' and 'not infectious'.
- The first victim was a 70-year-old Dutch man who died on April 11; his wife also died later in South Africa.
- A third passenger, a German woman, also died from the disease, with her body still on board.
- A total of eight confirmed or suspected Hantavirus cases have been linked to the MV Hondius, with patients evacuated to several countries.
- Investigators suspect the Andes strain of hantavirus was contracted during an excursion in Ushuaia, Argentina.
- The MV Hondius has been permitted to proceed to Tenerife.
- Unaffected passengers will be transported home from Tenerife, while Spanish nationals will be quarantined.