In April 2026, an outbreak of hantavirus infection caused by the Andes virus was identified on the Dutch cruise ship . There were ten confirmed cases and two suspected cases directly linked to the outbreak as of 22 May. There have been three deaths, two of which have been confirmed as caused by the Andes virus, the last on 2 May. By 11 May, all passengers had disembarked and been evacuated, many to their home countries for quarantine. On 2 July 2026, the World Health Organization officially declared the outbreak to be over, after the last close contact was released from quarantine.

The Andes virus is the only known hantavirus to spread between humans. It spreads through close, sustained contact between people, and it may be airborne. The World Health Organization has emphasized that the risk of an epidemic is low, as previous outbreaks have only involved transmission in close-contact settings.

The ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April with plans to visit Antarctica and several islands in the South Atlantic. A passenger died on board on 11 April. His body was taken ashore in Saint Helena on 24 April, where 30 passengers disembarked, including his wife, who died two days later in a Johannesburg hospital. Another passenger died on board on 28 April. A British passenger was sent to Johannesburg on 2 May for treatment in critical but still stable condition. Although the ship was docked at Praia, Cape Verde, for three days, no one disembarked, as local facilities were unable to handle a safe evacuation. After receiving approval from Spanish health authorities, the ship departed for Tenerife, Canary Islands, on 6 May with additional medical resources and 147 individuals on board, arriving on 10 May. Passengers disembarked and evacuation flights repatriated passengers to six European countries and Canada. , former passengers were hospitalized or quarantined in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Saint Helena, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United States.

On 18 May, MV Hondius arrived in Rotterdam where everyone was retested and then disembarked. The two Dutch medical officers returned home for self-quarantine. The 23 crew from four countries entered quarantine in Rotterdam. The body of a deceased passenger was removed for cremation, and the vessel began disinfection in preparation for returning to service.

Background Hantavirus

Hantaviruses are a group of over fifty types of viruses that infect rodents and sometimes humans. In rodents, Hantavirus infection, while usually persistent, does not result in symptoms. Hantaviruses may transmit through rodent populations via aerosols or droplets from infected rodent feces, urine, saliva, and blood; through the consumption of contaminated food; or from virus particles shed from skin or fur.

Andes virus is a species of the Hantaviridae taxonomic family of viruses and the only known hantavirus to spread via human-to-human transmission. Past human outbreaks have indicated that transmission of the Andes virus is possible under specific close-contact conditions. The routes and mechanisms of transmission have not been definitively characterized, but airborne transmission is considered a possibility. Transmission typically occurs in cases of close sustained contact, such as household exposure, caregiving without personal protective equipment, and prolonged exposure in poorly ventilated or crowded settings. In humans, Andes virus usually causes hantavirus pulmonary syndromea severe illness affecting the heart and lungs with an incubation period of one to seven weeks. Andes virus outbreaks are associated with high case fatality rates of 20 to 40 percent.

On 6 May, it was confirmed that the Andes virus, which is normally found in the Andes mountains of Argentina and Chile, was responsible for the outbreak on the MV Hondius. The spread of the virus on board has been at least partially attributed to human-to-human transmission. Early reports identified Ushuaia, Argentina, as a possible site of infection. However, no cases of the virus have ever been recorded there or in the region of Tierra del Fuego, and the city lies 1,500 km south of the endemic range of the long-tailed mouse subspecies known to carry the virus.

MV Hondius

The MV Hondius is owned by the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions. The ship has accommodation for 196 passengers across 95 cabins, and a crew of 72. The ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April with 114 passengers and 61 crew. The first people infected had been travelling farther north in Argentina and into Chile before arrival in Ushuaia. The ship had plans to visit Antarctica and "several isolated islands in the South Atlantic".

After disembarkation at St. Helena, 149 people of 23 nationalities remained on board Hondius. Passengers mostly came from Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, while the bulk of the crew came from the Philippines. Berth prices on the cruise ranged from €14,000 to €22,000.

Itinerary and key events

1 April: MV Hondius departs Ushuaia, Argentina. 6 April: The first person begins showing symptoms. 11 April: The first person dies on board the ship; it is originally attributed to natural causes. 13–15 April: Hondius makes a stop in Tristan da Cunha. 24 April: Hondius stops in Saint Helena, where 30 passengers disembark. Among them are the deceased passenger's wife and his remains, both subsequently airlifted to Johannesburg, South Africa. 26 April: The wife of the first victim dies in a Johannesburg hospital. 2 May: The second on-board fatality and third overall. 3 May: The ship arrives at Praia, Cape Verde. 4 May: The first positive test for the Andes virus is received. 6 May: The ship leaves Cape Verde for Spain. Three more people are evacuated from the ship to the Netherlands, including the ship's doctor. 10 May: The ship arrives at the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife. Disembarkation begins; repatriation flights follow. 11 May: Two additional people from the ship test positive, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to seven. All passengers and some crew disembark the MV Hondius and are repatriated. 12 May: One Spanish passenger from the ship tests positive, the 13 others negative. 13–17 May: The ship is at sea with 27 crew, sailing to Rotterdam. On 15 May, one suspected American case proved to be negative, and Canadian health authorities reported the first positive test. 18 May: The ship arrives at the Port of Rotterdam, where it docks and the remaining passengers and crew disembark. 22 May: One passenger isolating in the Netherlands tests positive for the first time. 25 May: One passenger isolating in Spain tests positive for the first time. 30 May: After undergoing deep cleaning, MV Hondius is cleared by the Municipal Health Service (the Dutch health authority) to return to service. 10 June: One passenger hospitalized on Tristan da Cunha tests positive for the first time. 2 July: The World Health Organization declares that the outbreak is over.

Table of cases

Case Firstsymptom Outcome Nationality Treatment location Refs Remarks 1 6 April no test deceased Netherlands MV Hondius Index case; first fatality on board; assumed, but never proved to be hantavirus 2 24 April 4 May deceased Netherlands Johannesburg, South Africa Spouse of the index case; symptoms when departing in Saint Helena; died in Johannesburg 3 24 April 2 May survived United Kingdom Johannesburg, South Africa Hospitalized in ICU; first to test positive for hantavirus 4 28 April yes deceased Germany MV Hondius Second fatality on board; third overall; tested positive post-mortem 5 30 April 6 May survived Netherlands Netherlands The ship's doctor; evacuated by plane from Cape Verde 6 27 April 6 May survived United Kingdom Netherlands Crew; evacuated by plane from Cape Verde 7 1 May 5 May survived Switzerland Zurich, Switzerland Experienced symptoms at home after disembarking 8 28 April 10 June survived United Kingdom Tristan da Cunha Was not able to be formally tested for hantavirus for a long time after showing symptoms due to isolated location, despite being hospitalized 9 12 May yes survived France Bichat–Claude Bernard Hospital,Paris, France Developed symptoms during repatriation; placed on life support in ICU; discharged on 6 August 10 11 May 12 May recovered Spain Madrid, Spain Had slight fever and mild respiratory symptoms, no more symptoms since May 22 - inconclusive, then negative - United States University of Nebraska Medical Center,Omaha, Nebraska, United States Flu-like symptoms on board disappeared later; initial tests inconclusive, but 15 May test proved he was never infected; quarantined at UNMC, Omaha 11 14 May 15 May recovered Canada Victoria, British Columbia, Canada "Presumed" positive 16 May; "confirmed" 18 May by national lab; recovered and discharged as of June 9. 12 22 May survived Netherlands Netherlands Crew; isolating in the Netherlands 13 25 May survived Spain Gómez Ulla Military Hospital,Madrid, Spain Tested positive while already in quarantine and was moved to isolation

Timeline

April The ship departed from Ushuaia on 1 April with 175 passengers and crew. On 6 April, a 70-year-old Dutch man began showing symptoms, and he died on board on 11 April, initially attributed to generic natural causes. The ship stopped at the British Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha on 13–15 April. On 24 April, the Dutchman's body was taken off the ship upon the ship's arrival at the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena. At this time, 29 passengers disembarked the ship; among them was the man's 69-year-old widow, who later took a plane to South Africa. The disembarked passengers were from 12 countries and returned home before contact tracing began.

On 25 April, the widow, who had unknowingly contracted the virus, boarded KLM flight KL592 from Johannesburg to Amsterdam, but she was removed from the plane before takeoff due to her medical condition, and she died in a hospital in South Africa on 26 April. The widow was on the plane for 45 minutes. After stopping in Saint Helena, the ship continued on to the British Overseas Territory of Ascension Island, where an ill British passenger was removed and flown to South Africa for hospital care. On 27 April, Hondius left Ascension Island.

May

1–5 May On 2 May, a German woman died on board, and, , her body remains on board the ship. Following the identification of the outbreak on 4 May, passengers were told to limit close contact and frequently use hand sanitizer. On 2 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) first received a report of the hantavirus outbreak.

On 3 May, the ship docked in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde. The authorities said they were sending medical supplies and officials to support the ship, and officials in Praia also expanded safety protocols near the port as a precautionary measure. The Cape Verdean government announced the creation of an isolation area and the coordination of a multidisciplinary team to assist the ship's passengers and crew. Around the same time, South African officials began precautionary contact tracing. By 4 May, gene sequencing had identified the Andes virus in at least one infected person.

6 May

On 6 May, the ship was anchored outside Cape Verde, a country not deemed capable of dealing with the medical emergency on board. Despite the objections of the Canary Islands' regional president, Spain approved the plan for the Hondius to dock in Tenerife, citing its moral and legal obligation to the passengers.