The Haakonans were a humanoid race native to the planet Haakona Prime. As a species, the Haakonans did not seem to exhibit much interest in deep space exploration, and to find one of their ships so far from home is a surprise. (ENT - The Romulan War novel: To Brave the Storm) Prior to 2155, the Romulans occupied the Haakonan homeworld for nearly two decades but were eventually forced to leave. It is possible that some of the species managed to escape before the deployment of the virus, but as it came on suddenly, it would seem that most were affected.