What Was The Outbreak On MV Hondius?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius was carrying 147 passengers and crew when it departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, 2026.

While sailing in the South Atlantic, it made multiple stops in “remote and ecologically diverse” regions between April 6 and April 28.

WHO has confirmed two hantavirus cases (laboratory-tested) and reported five additional suspected cases among passengers. Of these seven people, three have died, one is critically ill and was evacuated to a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the remaining three have mild symptoms.

Those who succumbed to the outbreak experienced fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and shock.

What Are Hantaviruses?

A January 2025 Patient Page on Hantaviruses, coauthored by JAMA Deputy Editor Preeti Malani, MD, MSJ, offers consumer-friendly information about Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, including infection rates, treatment, and prevention.

According to JAMA, hantaviruses are a group of viruses that spread to humans through exposure to infected urine, saliva or droppings of rodents, usually rats and mice. In rare cases, they can be acquired through rodent bites or scratches or by eating contaminated food.

The incubation period for hantavirus infection can range from 1 to 8 weeks after exposure. The severity of symptoms depends on the specific strain of virus causing the infection.

Although the disease is rare, contracting it can be life-threatening. Between 1993 and 2022, only 864 cases were identified in the U.S., mostly in states west of the Mississippi River. About one-third of those with pulmonary symptoms wind up dying.

The good news is that with supportive medical care, most mild cases of hantavirus resolve on their own. And person-to-person transmission appears to be extremely rare, with the WHO actively pursuing that line of investigation.

What Caused The Outbreak On The Cruise Ship?

Experts aren’t sure at this point.

The two possible hypotheses are either that there were rodents aboard the ship or that a passenger picked up the virus in Argentina, where hantavirus is endemic.

What Is Being Done For Stranded Cruise Passengers?

Although there is no approved treatment for hantavirus, WHO has an emergency team supporting the clinical management and medical evacuation of symptomatic passengers.

Passengers on board have been asked to remain in their cabins as much as possible, to adhere to strict hygiene protocols (including handwashing and social distancing) and to remain vigilant for symptoms over the next 45 days. Passengers are also receiving medical checkups.

While there are no firm disembarkation plans in place for the remaining passengers on board, Oceanwide Expeditions is working closely with embassies in Cabo Verde, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and the United Kingdom to coordinate next steps. In addition, the cruise line has been communicating with passengers and their families.

On May 5, Aljazeera reported that once cleared, Spain has agreed for the ship to sail to the Canary Islands, a 3-day voyage, for disembarkation.

Is Hantavirus A Serious Risk For Cruise Passengers?

The risk for passengers and crew is extremely low since this MV Hondius outbreak may well be the first documented case of hantavirus on a commercial cruise ship.