Evacuated cruise ship passengers test positive for hantavirus in isolation
Evacuated cruise ship passengers test positive for hantavirus during isolation in their home countries.
Event / Health
MV Hondius Hantavirus Outbreak
Hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius with confirmed cases and deaths among passengers who traveled through South America and Atlantic ports.
7 reported locations
Daily activity
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 4 May, 00:07 UTC
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What happened
Port workers protest arrival of hantavirus-infected cruise ship
Port workers expressed opposition to the arrival of the cruise ship carrying the hantavirus outbreak at the Spanish port facility.
Cruise ship with hantavirus outbreak to dock at Canary Islands for passenger evacuation
A cruise ship with a confirmed hantavirus outbreak is scheduled to dock at Spain's Canary Islands for evacuation of passengers and crew members. The outbreak has resulted in nine confirmed or suspected cases, including three deaths among those on board.
17 American passengers from hantavirus cruise ship to be isolated in Nebraska
Seventeen American passengers from the cruise ship affected by the hantavirus outbreak are scheduled to be transported to Nebraska for medical isolation and monitoring.
WHO director-general to coordinate evacuation in Canary Islands
The director-general of the World Health Organization is expected to arrive in the Canary Islands to coordinate the evacuation of passengers from the MV Hondius.
Three deaths confirmed in hantavirus outbreak with 38% fatality rate
Three deaths have been confirmed among the eight reported cases of hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius, resulting in a fatality rate of 38%. Two additional cases are classified as probable.
Singapore residents aboard MV Hondius test negative for hantavirus
Two residents of Singapore who were aboard the MV Hondius and placed in isolation have tested negative for hantavirus.
MV Hondius cruise ship scheduled to arrive in Tenerife
The cruise ship MV Hondius, currently at the center of an international health alert, is en route to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, with arrival expected on Sunday at midday. Passenger evacuation is planned for early the following week.
Six cases of hantavirus confirmed on cruise ship MV Hondius
Six cases of hantavirus have been confirmed among eight suspected cases reported following an outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius in the Atlantic Ocean. The confirmed cases are all identified as Andes virus, which is known to be transmissible between humans.
WHO assesses hantavirus outbreak risk as moderate to low
The World Health Organization has assessed the epidemiological risk level as low, describing hantavirus as less contagious than COVID-19. The risk for passengers and crew on the MV Hondius is judged to be moderate.
Four hantavirus patients currently hospitalized in multiple countries
Four patients infected with hantavirus from the MV Hondius outbreak are currently hospitalized: one in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa; two in different hospitals in the Netherlands; and one in Zurich, Switzerland. A patient previously hospitalized in Düsseldorf, Germany has tested negative and is no longer considered a confirmed case.
No new symptoms reported among cruise ship passengers and crew
According to cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions, no additional persons among the approximately 150 passengers on the MV Hondius are showing symptoms of hantavirus.
MV Hondius cruise ship carrying 140 passengers and crew headed to Canary Islands with hantavirus outbreak
The cruise ship MV Hondius, carrying 140 passengers and crew members, was headed to the Canary Islands after a hantavirus outbreak occurred during its voyage. The ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1 and made stops at Tristan da Cunha and St. Helena before heading to Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
Multiple countries coordinating international response to hantavirus outbreak
The outbreak prompted coordinated efforts from the World Health Organization and multiple countries to treat patients, conduct testing and diagnosis, sequence the virus, and investigate the origin. International coordination and information exchange were identified as key to managing the outbreak response.
Resident of Tristan da Cunha hospitalized with hantavirus symptoms
A resident of Tristan da Cunha was hospitalized with symptoms of hantavirus infection. It is unclear whether this person was a passenger on the MV Hondius or acquired the infection through other means.
Andes virus suspected to have originated from bird-watching trip in Ushuaia, Argentina
Argentine investigators suspect a Dutch couple contracted the Andes virus during a bird-watching trip before boarding the MV Hondius in Ushuaia on April 1. Argentina's Health Ministry focused on Ushuaia as the potential origin point of the outbreak, with officials planning to investigate the southern Argentine town.
First hantavirus case on cruise ship reported on April 6 with fever, diarrhea, and headache
On April 6, the first passenger on the MV Hondius reported illness with symptoms including fever, diarrhea, and headache. This passenger died on April 11. The incubation period for Andes virus can be as long as six weeks, meaning additional cases may surface.
Thirty passengers disembarked at St. Helena on April 24, some with symptoms
The MV Hondius made a stop at St. Helena island on April 24 where approximately 30 passengers disembarked, including a Dutch woman carrying the body of her deceased husband. A Swiss man who disembarked at St. Helena later tested positive for Andes virus after developing symptoms in Switzerland.
Spain preparing to receive cruise ship passengers at Tenerife with evacuation procedures
Spanish authorities prepared to receive the remaining passengers and crew of the MV Hondius at Tenerife. Once the ship reached port, passengers would be evacuated in small boats to buses only after their repatriation flights were confirmed. Spain requested medically equipped planes for symptomatic passengers.
Dutch woman who disembarked in St. Helena died in South Africa from Andes virus
A Dutch woman who disembarked from the MV Hondius at St. Helena traveled to South Africa with her husband's body. She became too ill to board a connecting flight to Amsterdam and died in South Africa. South African and Dutch authorities traced contacts she had during her travels.
World Health Organization assesses low risk to global population from cruise ship outbreak
The World Health Organization stated that the risk to the global population from the MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak is low. The Andes virus does not appear to spread efficiently from person to person, with transmission occurring mainly through close contact.
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2 alternative perspectives
French government convenes crisis coordination meeting on hantavirus response
France activates government-level crisis coordination for hantavirus outbreak response and passenger repatriation.
Andes hantavirus shows 30-50 percent mortality rate in outbreak cases
Andes hantavirus shows 30-50 percent mortality rate; human-to-human transmission capability documented.
MV Hondius departs Canary Islands following passenger evacuation completion
MV Hondius departs Canary Islands after completing passenger evacuation; ship proceeds to Rotterdam for disinfection.
Twenty-two contact cases identified as nations enforce 42-day quarantine protocols
Twenty-two French contact cases and 42-day WHO quarantine protocols establish systematic international monitoring for cruise ship passengers.
Hantavirus cases rise to eight with three confirmed deaths
Eight hantavirus cases confirmed with three deaths; French, American, and Dutch nationals among documented infections.
Secondary hantavirus cases confirmed across continents post-evacuation
Secondary hantavirus cases confirmed in evacuated passengers across multiple countries.
Spanish authorities screen passengers as evacuation coordination intensifies
Spanish health screening accelerates as eight confirmed cases lead to coordinated international evacuation and isolation protocols.
Over 100 passengers disembark as WHO classifies contacts as high-risk
WHO classifies MV Hondius passengers as high-risk contacts as final disembarkation phase concludes with 100+ passengers leaving ship.
Hantavirus outbreak stabilizes with three confirmed deaths as international evacuation concludes
MV Hondius evacuation complete with three deaths; passengers from 14 nations repatriated for 42-day monitoring.
France repatriates five cruise ship passengers in coordinated hantavirus response
France repatriated five hantavirus-exposed cruise ship passengers and activated governmental crisis coordination.
Rodent exposure and symptom delays shape hantavirus outbreak assessments
Rodent exposure caused outbreak; eight-week symptom delays challenge detection; CDC alerts amid WHO's low global risk assessment.