Three people have died after a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, prompting former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl to share his own harrowing experience with the infection. The MV Hondius departed from Argentina on April 1 and was scheduled to dock in Cape Verde after a 33-day voyage, but authorities there refused to let passengers disembark. After three days anchored off the archipelago, the ship is now heading to Spain’s Canary Islands.
Hasenhüttl’s Terrifying Battle
Ralph Hasenhüttl, now 58, revealed that he nearly died from hantavirus in 2012 after contracting it while cleaning his terrace at home. At first, he mistook his symptoms for exhaustion following a mountain bike ride during a training camp. He told the Mirror: ‘I went to bed and that’s when the pain in my head started. It felt like there was a needle in my head. Then I started to notice severe back pain. It felt like there was a knife in my back.’
Doctors discovered that the virus was causing his liver and kidneys to swell rapidly, pressing against other organs. After two weeks in intensive care, Hasenhüttl said he was ‘out for such a long time.’ His heart rate fluctuated wildly, and his weight shifted as his kidneys weakened. He described recovery as a ‘waiting game,’ trying to push away dark thoughts because he felt young, healthy, and strong. ‘I thought, ‘Why should I die from a virus?” he recalled. Doctors traced the infection to dust he inhaled while cleaning without a mask. Symptoms typically appear two to three weeks after exposure.
Other Survivors’ Stories
Canadian Lorne Warburton was hospitalized in 2023 and placed on life support. He described the illness as ‘torture’ and ‘hell on Earth,’ starting with COVID-like symptoms and escalating to drenching sweats and breathing difficulties. After three weeks in hospital, he fully recovered. In 2019, German Christian Ege suffered stomach flu, vomiting, and dizziness before being diagnosed with kidney failure and sepsis. He spent days in the ICU with a neck catheter for dialysis. ‘The kidneys recovered normally, but the coincidence of bacterial and viral escalation was worrying,’ he told the BBC.
Current Outbreak Updates
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed five cases linked to the MV Hondius. A third British national has been diagnosed with suspected hantavirus. WHO’s Maria Van Kerkhove stated that while this is ‘not the next COVID,’ it remains a ‘serious infection,’ though the risk to the general public is low.
What Is Hantavirus?
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents, transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings, or saliva. Infections can cause severe disease or death. In the Americas, hantavirus can lead to hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), affecting the lungs and heart. In Europe and Asia, it often causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), targeting the kidneys and blood vessels.
Symptoms to Watch For
Symptoms typically appear one to eight weeks after exposure and include fever, headache, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal issues like abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting. HCPS patients may develop a cough and shortness of breath due to fluid in the lungs. HFRS patients may experience low blood pressure, bleeding disorders, and kidney failure in later stages. Early diagnosis is challenging because symptoms mimic influenza, COVID-19, pneumonia, leptospirosis, dengue, or sepsis.
Treatment Options
There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus. Care is supportive, based on symptoms, and may include hospitalization and respiratory support.
