The "Poop Cruise" True Story: What Happened on the Carnival Triumph
Three people are dead amid an outbreak of the rare hantavirus aboard a cruise ship.
Global health officials are investigating how the rodent-borne virus—which killed the late Gene Hackman's wife Betsy Arakawa in New Mexico last year in a separate case—has infected multiple passengers of the MV Hondius, a Dutch expedition ship that set sail from Argentina on April 1.
As of May 7, the boat is anchored near Cape Verde, Africa, as investigators identify five confirmed cases of hantavirus, with three other individuals suspected of having contracted the virus.
"This is not the next COVID, but it is a serious infectious disease,” Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization (WHO) told the Associated Press May 7. "Most people will never be exposed to this."
Added WHO's alert and response director Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, “We believe this will be a limited outbreak if the public health measures are implemented and solidarity is shown across all countries."
So, what is there to know about hantavirus and the outbreak on the cruise ship? Read on for more details.
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially deadly family of viruses mainly carried by rodents like rats or mice, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)—a life-threatening, lung and heart disease—or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which affects blood vessels and kidneys.
Hantavirus is transmitted from animals to humans through rodent urine, droppings or saliva, per the CDC. People usually become infected by breathing in tiny virus particles from the infected rodents’ excrements—often in enclosed spaces like cabins, sheds or poorly ventilated buildings. Transmission through bites or scratches is also possible, but rare.
The Andes virus is the only type of hantavirus that is known to spread person-to-person. This transmission is uncommon and is usually limited to those who have close contact with the infected person.
Early symptoms include fever, muscle aches, fatigue and nausea, while patients later develop a cough and breathing problems due to fluid build-up in the lungs, according to the CDC. Other symptoms may include intense headaches, fever, chills, blurred vision or nausea.
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A Dutch couple is believed to have contracted the virus in Ushuaia, Argentina, while visiting a landfill during a bird-watching tour before boarding the cruise ship, two Argentine officials told the Associated Press.
On April 6, five days after the MV Hondius departed from Argentina, a man began showing symptoms of fever, headache and mild diarrhea, according to the WHO. By April 11, the man had developed respiratory problems and died on board.
His body was removed from the ship while it was docked in Saint Helena, an island on the Atlantic Ocean, on April 24. His disembarked from the boat with gastrointestinal symptoms on the same day, according to the Associated Press.
The woman's symptoms "deteriorated" as she flew to Johannesburg April 25, per the WHO. She died on April 26 upon her arrival at a local hospital.
She was 69, while her husband was 70 years old, per The New York Times.
In addition to the couple, a female passenger with "presentation of pneumonia" died on May 2, per the WHO. Prior to her death, she reported symptoms of fever and a general unwell on April 28.
Elif Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images
A May 7 press release from the WHO stated eight reported cases of illness amongst passengers of the MV Hondius, five of which were confirmed as hantavirus.
One man who reported shortness of breath and signs of pneumonia on April 24 has since been transported to a South African hospital, where he remains in critical condition, per the WHO. Lab results confirmed a hantavirus infection.
When it departed from Argentina, the he ship is carrying 147 individuals, including 88 passengers and 59 crew members, per the WHO. Those onboard represented 23 nationalities.
The ship was moored off the coast of Cabo Verde on May 4, with doctors and investigators commuting to the cruise by boat.
Passengers have been advised to social distance, wear masks and sit every other chair in the dining room during meals, according to The New York Times.
“Our days have been close to normal, just waiting for authorities to find a solution,” passenger Kasem Hato told the outlet. “But morale on the ship is high and we’re keeping ourselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks and that kind of things.”
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No cases have been documented in the U.S. as of May 7. Health departments in Virginia, California, Arizona, Texas and Georgia are monitoring residents who were passengers on the ship and have returned stateside.
"A small number (less than five) of exposed Virginians might be identified in the days ahead," Virginia Department of Health spokesperson Maria Reppas told USA Today, noting the risk to the general public is believed to be low.
Meanwhile, contact tracing has begun for those who may have been in contact with the infected passenger who boarded the Johannesburg flight, per the WHO.
It’s “extremely rare” for the virus to spread human-to-human, according to University of California Health.
“Hantavirus is not spread by people without symptoms, transmission requires close contact, and the risk to the American public is very low,” the acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya said May 7, per The Hill. “CDC has the world’s leading experts on hantavirus and is lending its technical expertise when coordinating with interagency partners, state health offices, and international authorities on response and repatriation planning.”
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