Monroe native aboard MV Hondius shares updates on hantavirus outbreak
News. Travel influencer Jake Rosmarin says, “We’re not just a story,” on Instagram post.
Monroe /
| 08 May 2026 | 01:26
Monroe native Jake Rosmarin talks about his experience on MV Hondius in a video posted to Facebook. (
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Monroe native Jake Rosmarin, a passenger aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship that has experienced an outbreak of hantavirus, has been sharing updates on social media about the ordeal.
“We’re not just a story,” according to a May 7 post on Rosmarin’s Instagram page. “We’re not just headlines. We’re people with families...all we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home.”
Since the Dutch expedition ship set sail from Argentina on April 1 three passenger deaths have been attributed to the virus with others showing possible signs of infection, according to Rosmarin and the Associated Press. Anchored near Cape Verde, Africa as of May 7, the ship’s next destination to the Canary Islands for medical screening and repatriation.
According to the World Health Organization, Hantavirus can spread by inhaling contaminated rodent droppings though human to human transmission is uncommon.
On May 6, Rosmarin – a travel influencer who, according to his Instagram page, lives in Boston – told his Facebook followers that medical care was being provided to those who need it.
“Thankfully, the individuals in need of medical care and screening have now been evacuated from the vessel and are being transferred to medical facilities,” he said in his most recent Facebook post. “While stricter precautions are now in place, passengers still have access to fresh air on the outer decks, meals can be delivered directly to cabins, and everyone onboard continues to be cared for and supported. Oceanwide Expeditions and the entire crew have been doing everything they can to keep everyone safe, informed, and comfortable. We now have two infectious disease physicians on board, and we are very grateful for their assistance and support throughout this situation.”
Rosmarin said MV Hondius is an expedition vessel with approximately 150 people on board that operates in the polar regions and other areas that require strict biosecurity. He added claims that this ship is dirty or poorly maintained are untrue.
When contacted after posting about his son’s ordeal in the Monroe Matters Facebook page May 6, Scott Rosmarin told Straus News his son is “not speaking to anyone in the media at this time” and neither are family members.