Deadly Outbreak of Hantavirus on a Dutch Cruise Ship MV Hondius

A deadly outbreak of hantavirus aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius has triggered a multi-country health alert. While the World Health Organization (WHO) currently assesses the global public health risk as "low," the incident has claimed three lives and sparked urgent contact-tracing efforts across three continents.

The MV Hondius was traveling from Argentina toward Spain when the virus was detected. So far, seven cases have been identified two laboratory-confirmed and five suspected among the 147 passengers and crew.

Three people have died, including a 70-year-old Dutch man, his 69-year-old wife, and a German woman. One passenger remains seriously ill in a South African hospital, while three others are reporting mild symptoms.

Several individuals, including the ship's doctor and an expedition guide, were evacuated near Cape Verde and Ascension Island for specialized treatment in Europe and South Africa.

Investigators are focusing on Argentina as the source of the infection. The cruise departed from Ushuaia on April 1. Argentina consistently reports the highest incidence of hantavirus in Latin America, with infections doubling since June 2025.

The specific strain identified is the Andes virus. While hantaviruses typically spread through contact with infected rodent waste, the Andes strain is rare for its ability to spread between humans through close contact.

Authorities are racing to locate passengers who disembarked early at the remote island of St. Helena on April 23.

Switzerland: One man who left the ship at St. Helena has already tested positive.

United States: At least 23 passengers returned home and are being monitored by health officials in Georgia, California, and Arizona.

Spain: Despite local protests in the Canary Islands, the ship is expected to dock in Tenerife on Saturday following a request from the WHO.

Health experts in Argentina warn that rising temperatures are expanding the range of rodents that carry the virus. "Argentina has become more tropical because of climate change," noted infectious disease specialist Hugo Pizzi, suggesting that changing ecosystems are allowing carrier mice to proliferate in new areas.