A luxury polar cruise turned into a nightmare on the high seas after a suspected outbreak of a rare rodent-borne virus left multiple passengers dead and others fighting for their lives.
Health officials are now scrambling to understand how a voyage marketed as a once-in-a-lifetime Antarctic expedition became the center of a growing international health investigation.
According to the World Health Organization, at least six individuals aboard the expedition vessel MV Hondius were impacted by what is believed to be hantavirus, a dangerous illness typically linked to rodent exposure. Of those cases, three passengers have died, while another remains in critical condition in South Africa.
The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, departed from Ushuaia on March 20 with roughly 150 passengers and about 70 crew members. The route included stops in Antarctica and the Falkland Islands before continuing north across the Atlantic.
What began as an elite exploration quickly spiraled into tragedy.
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