{
    "title": "Two Belgians on board cruise ship where hantavirus may have broken out",
    "modified_at": "2026-05-04 16:24:40",
    "published_at": "2026-05-04 16:24:00",
    "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/two-belgians-on-board-cruise-ship-where-hantavirus-may-have-broken-out",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/p3Ed",
    "culture": "en_BE",
    "language": "EN",
    "slug": "two-belgians-on-board-cruise-ship-where-hantavirus-may-have-broken-out",
    "body": "<p><strong>There are two Belgians on board the cruise ship MV Hondius, operated by the Dutch shipping company Oceanwide Expeditions, on which three passengers have died. Those three people may have died as a result of the hantavirus.</strong></p><p>A day after it emerged that three people have died on an Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship, the Dutch company provided further information about the situation on board. At present, there are still 149 people on board the ship, which is currently off the coast of Cape Verde. The passenger list also includes two Belgians.</p><p>There are also two crew members on board exhibiting &ldquo;acute respiratory symptoms&rdquo;. Both require urgent medical attention. At present, no other individuals have been identified as having symptoms, according to the shipping company.</p><p>On 27 April, another passenger &ndash; a 69-year-old British man &ndash; fell seriously ill on board. The man was taken to a hospital in South Africa. There, he was diagnosed with the rare hantavirus. He is currently reported to be in &ldquo;a critical but stable condition&rdquo;.</p><p>Oceanwide Expeditions emphasised that there is currently only one confirmed case of the hantavirus on board. &ldquo;The hantavirus has not yet been confirmed in the two people who are still on board and require medical care. Nor has it been established that the virus is linked to the three deaths associated with this voyage. The exact cause and any possible connection are being investigated.&quot;</p><p>The company is currently awaiting authorisation for the medical evacuation of the passengers.<br>\u200b</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><sup>The cruise ship MV Hondius &copy; PHOTO AFP</sup></p><hr /><p><strong>Related news</strong></p><div id=\"bookmark-e685fc9f-9670-4fbf-9bfa-576353fb441f\"\n     class=\"release-content-bookmark release-content-bookmark--horizontal\">\n\n            <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__thumbnail\"\n           href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgium-tests-response-to-ebola-like-outbreak-scenario-in-national-exercise\"\n           rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n           target=\"_blank\"           style=\"background-image: url(https://prezly.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.uc.assets.prezly.com%2F90cf07df-89d0-4161-b94b-4969246e8c0c%2F-%2Fpreview%2F600x600%2F?ar=1%3A1&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=1fb5c774621a5d781d1dc1189cf8e4e8)\"\n        ></a>\n    \n    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__details\">\n\n                    <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__title\"\n               href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgium-tests-response-to-ebola-like-outbreak-scenario-in-national-exercise\"\n               rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n               target=\"_blank\"               data-type=\"bookmark\"\n               data-track=\"Story WebBookmark Click\"\n               data-placement=\"content\"\n               data-id=\"e685fc9f-9670-4fbf-9bfa-576353fb441f\"\n           >\n                Belgium tests response to Ebola-like outbreak scenario in national exercise            </a>\n        \n                    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__description\">\n                Belgium&#039;s Health ministry has conducted an exercise with a range of partner organisations to test Belgium\u2019s response to an outbreak of an unknown...            </div>\n        \n        <a href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/\"\n           target=\"_blank\"\n           rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"\n           class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider\"\n        >\n            <img class=\"release-content-bookmark__provider-icon\" src=\"https://avatars.prezly.com/favicon?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.belganewsagency.eu%2Fbelgium-tests-response-to-ebola-like-outbreak-scenario-in-national-exercise&newsroom=6b71e247-a9ba-4732-aaa3-88be14c119db\" aria-hidden=\"true\" />\n            belganewsagency.eu        </a>\n    </div>\n</div>\n<div id=\"bookmark-73e90583-8d35-4873-ab86-28271cdc0b17\"\n     class=\"release-content-bookmark release-content-bookmark--horizontal\">\n\n            <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__thumbnail\"\n           href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/flanders-sees-rapid-rise-in-measles-cases\"\n           rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n           target=\"_blank\"           style=\"background-image: url(https://prezly.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.uc.assets.prezly.com%2Fb1197d89-da37-4c49-8c40-513150770db4%2F-%2Fpreview%2F600x600%2F?ar=1%3A1&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=473746bb9111e7995c964e5a552b2637)\"\n        ></a>\n    \n    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__details\">\n\n                    <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__title\"\n               href=\"https://www.belganewsagency.eu/flanders-sees-rapid-rise-in-measles-cases\"\n               rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n               target=\"_blank\"               data-type=\"bookmark\"\n               data-track=\"Story WebBookmark Click\"\n               data-placement=\"content\"\n               data-id=\"73e90583-8d35-4873-ab86-28271cdc0b17\"\n           >\n                Flanders sees rapid rise in measles cases            </a>\n        \n                    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__description\">\n                In April, 48 cases of measles were reported in Flanders, the Flemish Department of Public Health reported in a press release. 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    "links": [
        {
            "description": "Belgium tests response to Ebola-like outbreak scenario in national exercise",
            "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/belgium-tests-response-to-ebola-like-outbreak-scenario-in-national-exercise"
        },
        {
            "description": "Flanders sees rapid rise in measles cases",
            "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/flanders-sees-rapid-rise-in-measles-cases"
        }
    ],
    "author": {
        "first_name": "Flanders",
        "last_name": "News Service"
    },
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}