PRAIA, Cape Verde - A US travel blogger trapped aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has issued an emotional tearful plea after three passengers died from a suspected hantavirus outbreak and local authorities refused to let the vessel dock in Cape Verde .
"We're not just a story, we're not just headlines. We're people with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home," Jake Rosmarin, a Boston-based influencer with over 44,000 Instagram followers, said in a video recorded from his bed aboard the ship .
'We Just Want to Feel Safe': Tearful Statement from Passenger Aboard Hantavirus Outbreak Cruise Ship#Asiaone #asiaonenews #statement #Passenger #CruiseShip pic.twitter.com/TpQMLNZ57Y
- ASIA ONE NEWS (@AsiaOne_News) May 4, 2026
"There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part," Rosmarin said, his voice breaking with emotion. "All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity, and to get home" .
The Dutch-flagged polar expedition vessel remains anchored off the coast of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, after being denied permission to dock as a precautionary measure to protect the local population . Approximately 150 passengers and 70 crew members from 23 different nationalities remain on board .
Three Dead, More Ill
The outbreak has so far claimed three lives:
A 70-year-old Dutch man who died on April 11 near St. Helena
His 69-year-old wife, who collapsed at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport and later died
A German national who died on the ship on May 2
A 69-year-old British man who was evacuated to South Africa is in critical but stable condition in intensive care after testing positive for hantavirus . Two crew members - one British and one Dutch - remain on board with symptoms and require urgent medical evacuation .
Cape Verde Refuses Disembarkation
Cape Verdean authorities have maintained their refusal to let passengers disembark, prioritizing the safety of the island nation's residents.
"The ship has not been authorized to dock at the port of Praia. Passengers will not be allowed to disembark," said Maria da Luz Lima, president of the Cape Verdean Public Health Institute. "This is to protect the Cape Verdean people" .
The vessel's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, has stated it is working with the World Health Organization, Dutch authorities, and other international partners to arrange alternative disembarkation at Las Palmas or Tenerife in the Canary Islands .
About the Virus
Hantavirus is a rare but potentially fatal rodent-borne virus transmitted through contact with infected rodents' urine, droppings, or saliva . The incubation period can range from two days to eight weeks, meaning more passengers could develop symptoms in the coming days .
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 40% of hantavirus cases result in death . There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention and supportive care - including ventilation in severe cases - can improve survival chances .
The World Health Organization has stated that the risk to the wider public remains low and there is no need for panic or travel restrictions, as the virus does not transfer easily between humans . However, the WHO is coordinating a multi-country response and has urged "urgency" in evacuating the remaining symptomatic patients .
What Comes Next
The ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, approximately three weeks ago on a polar expedition voyage marketed as an Antarctic nature tour . The vessel had made several stops before arriving in Cape Verdean waters on May 3 .
Dutch authorities have agreed to coordinate the repatriation of symptomatic individuals to the Netherlands, but permission from Cape Verde for the transfer has not yet been granted . Meanwhile, passengers face an agonizing wait - uncertain whether they have been exposed to the deadly virus and when they might finally be allowed to go home.
"Please remember that there are real people behind this," Rosmarin said, ending his video plea. "This isn't something happening far away. It's happening to us, right now" .
