A luxury Atlantic cruise has turned into a floating quarantine zone as a suspected outbreak of the rare rodent-borne hantavirus has left three passengers dead and dozens more stranded off the coast of West Africa.
Currently anchored off the port of Praia, Cape Verde, the Dutch-operated expedition vessel MV Hondius has been barred from docking by local officials, despite urgency, leaving 149 passengers and crew trapped in limbo, citing public health precautions.
The mounting panic inside the vessel was laid bare by travel vlogger Jake Rosmarin, who posted a tearful video from his cabin. 'All we want is to feel safe,' Rosmarin said.
Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius: Three Casualties
The tragedy began unfolding mid-voyage after the vessel departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April. According to public health authorities, a 70-year-old Dutch passenger fell ill on board and died on 11 April. His body was disembarked at the British territory of Saint Helena on 24 April.
In a heartbreaking turn of events, his 69-year-old wife, who was accompanying his body back to the Netherlands, collapsed at an airport in South Africa and died shortly after at a hospital in Kempton Park. A third passenger, a German national, died on board the vessel on 2 May, and their body remains on the ship.
Meanwhile, according to the South African health ministry, a 69-year-old British passenger who fell severely ill on the ship was medically evacuated to a private intensive care unit in Johannesburg, where he remains in a critical but stable condition. He later tested positive for hantavirus, The Guardian reported. 23 nationalities are currently on board, including 19 British and 17 American citizens.
What Is Hantavirus, and Is It Deadly?
As global attention shifts off the coast of Cape Verde, questions about hantavirus have grown, including what it is and how deadly it can be.
Orthohantaviruses, more commonly known as hantaviruses is a rare but potentially deadly family of viruses carried by rodents. Worldwide, there are at least 38 recognised hantavirus species, 24 of which can cause disease in humans, Prof Adam Taylor of Lancaster University said.
In terms of how deadly it is, it depends on the strain. The 'Old World' variant, native to Europe/Asia, causes kidney issues with a 1% to 15% mortality rate, while 'New World' variants found in America can trigger Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a swift, severe lung disease with a fatality rate of about 40%, as reported by The Guardian.
Currently, there are no vaccines or specific antiviral cures for it. The treatment is strictly supportive, relying on early hospitalization, fluid management, and oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation to help patients survive.
Influencer Trapped on the Cruiseship, Tearful in Video
While cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions maintains that 'the atmosphere on board MV Hondius remains calm, with passengers generally composed,' first-hand accounts from inside the vessel paint a far more anxious picture.
The mounting panic aboard the quarantined ship was laid bare on Monday, 4 May, by Jake Rosmarin, a travel influencer and vlogger from Boston. Posting a tearful video from his cabin to his 44,000 Instagram followers, Rosmarin broke down after Cape Verde authorities officially refused the Dutch cruise liner permission to dock.
'I am currently on board the MV Hondius. What's happening right now is very real for all of us here,' he sobbed in the video. 'We're not just a story. We're not just headlines. We're people. People with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home.'
He added, 'So, there's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part. All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity, and to get home.' Rosmarin is among those on board the MV Hondius who continue to wait at anchor.
Who Is the Tearful Influencer, Jake Rosmarin?
While Rosmarin is currently making global headlines as one of the 149 passengers stranded aboard the MV Hondius and sharing a tearful video about the tense situation at sea, the American travel vlogger's story goes far beyond this sudden media spotlight.
Originally from Monroe, New York, Rosmarin now resides in Boston, Massachusetts. According to his LinkedIn profile, he graduated from Emory University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in International and Global Studies.
Aside from creating content as a travel vlogger, he is a freelance photographer who runs Jake Rosmarin Photography. He also works as an EF Ultimate Break Ambassador, promoting his travel experience on social media.
@jakerosmarin Atlantic Odyssey Day 1 🌊 Departed from 📍Ushuaia, Argentina 🇦🇷sailing through the Beagle Channel with incredible views and wildlife I’ll be sharing vlog style reels from each day so stay tuned 👀 Would you want to see full sea day vlogs, or should I combine some days together? . . . . . #oceanwideexp #semesteratsea #travelinspiration #epicadventure #bucketlistadventures
♬ original sound - Jake | Travel | Boston ✈️🗺️
In his vlogs, Rosmarin focuses on showcasing the culture, geography, and wildlife of the places he visits. Before the suspected hantavirus outbreak in MV Hondius, he was documenting his most ambitious project yet: a series about sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. His goal for the 35-day expedition was to cross the vast ocean to visit some of the most remote and isolated islands on Earth. Unfortunately, Rosmarin's journey halted due to the situation.
