An infectious disease specialist is weighing in as fears grow over hantavirus and whether the deadly virus could trigger a global pandemic following an outbreak aboard an expedition ship.

Hantavirus has drawn global attention in recent weeks after several passengers onboard the MV Hondius fell ill during the voyage, with three people dying and another eight suspected cases.

The outbreak has raised alarm partly because the strain involved – known as the Andes virus – is one of the few forms of hantavirus that can spread “by other infected people,” the World Health Organization (WHO) reports.

The disease also returned to headlines earlier this year after hantavirus was identified as the cause of death for Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, in February 2025, renewing public concern over how dangerous the virus could become.

Ship stopped at several ports

As health officials continue tracking passengers from the ship, concerns have also grown over how far possible exposure may have spread during the voyage.

According to CBC, the MV Hondius departed Argentina on April 1 before traveling through the Sandwich Islands, Tristan da Cunha, St Helena, Ascension Island, and Cape Verde.

The first confirmed hantavirus case onboard was identified on May 2 – a Dutch couple died the month before, one confirmed positive – while the ship was heading toward Cape Verde.

Because passengers disembarked at several ports throughout the journey, experts believe additional cases could still surface in different countries in the coming weeks.