Hantavirus nearly killed me episode artwork

EPISODE · May 16, 2026 · 23 MIN

Hantavirus nearly killed me

from The Documentary Podcast · host BBC World Service

It’s just over six weeks since the ship, MV Hondius, left Argentina for a cruise visiting remote islands in the South Atlantic. A month later, three passengers had died. The World Health Organisation identified the probable cause as hantavirus – a rodent-borne disease that the victims most likely contracted in south America. We bring together Christian in Germany and Lorne in Canada to share their experiences of the virus and their own brush with death. “My heart failed, and I apparently died for 11 minutes,” Lorne says. We also bring together three experts to discuss how the disease spreads, its prevention and treatment.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 16, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Hantavirus nearly killed me

0:00 23:16

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Documentary Podcast?

This episode is 23 minutes long.

When was this The Documentary Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on May 16, 2026.

Can I download this The Documentary Podcast episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!