MV Hondius Hantavirus Cluster: Confirmed Cases, Deaths & Contact Monitoring
Last updated: May 7, 2026 · 12:00 UTC. Sources: WHO DG Briefing, WHO DON599, CNN, Al Jazeera, Time, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Africa CDC.
On April 1, 2026, the Dutch expedition cruise vessel MV Hondius departed Ushuaia, Argentina — the southernmost city in the world — bound for the South Atlantic. Within weeks the ship became the centre of a confirmed Andes hantavirus cluster that the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed publicly on May 7, 2026.
Per the WHO Director-General briefing, the cluster involves 5 laboratory-confirmed Andes hantavirus infections (PCR-positive) and 3 deaths, of which only one — a 69-year-old Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg on April 26 — has been PCR-confirmed as caused by Andes virus. The other two deaths (a 70-year-old Dutch man who died onboard April 11, and a German woman who died onboard May 2) remain under investigation. The Dutch couple are believed to be the index cases; WHO's working assumption is that exposure occurred before boarding, likely during a birdwatching trip in southern South America.
Ship route. After Ushuaia, MV Hondius crossed the South Atlantic via Tristan da Cunha (April 13) and Saint Helena (April 24, where the body of Case 1 was removed). A third confirmed case (an adult male) was medically evacuated from Ascension Island on April 27 to a Johannesburg ICU and PCR-confirmed on May 2. After being denied port entry in Las Palmas, Canary Islands on May 2, the vessel reportedly continued toward mainland Spain. As of May 7 the ship is en route, and Spain's health minister has confirmed it is expected to dock in Tenerife within roughly 3 days.
Onboard population. Approximately 146 passengers and crew remain aboard, drawn from 23 nationalities. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health confirmed on May 6 that a male passenger is being treated in Zurich; Dutch national authorities (RIVM) confirmed two further Dutch nationals in the Netherlands. Eleven countries — including the Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, the United States (CDC), the United Kingdom (UKHSA), Germany, France, Singapore, Canada, Spain, and Saint Helena — have publicly acknowledged contact-monitoring or active response.
WHO Director-General Tedros assessed the general public health risk as LOW. Andes virus is the only hantavirus strain with documented person-to-person transmission, but secondary transmission requires close, prolonged contact — typically household or intimate-care settings. There is no evidence of efficient spread through casual contact or shared public spaces.
Key facts
| Confirmed cases (PCR) | 5 (per WHO DG May 7) |
|---|---|
| Deaths reported | 3 — only 1 PCR-confirmed as hantavirus |
| Ship status (May 7) | En route to Tenerife, Spain |
| Countries monitoring | 11+ |
| Nationalities aboard | 23 |
Frequently asked questions
Where did the MV Hondius outbreak originate?
WHO's working assumption is that the index Dutch couple were infected before boarding, likely during a birdwatching trip in Argentina/Chile/Uruguay between November 2025 and April 2026. The Argentine Ministry of Health has confirmed no Ushuaia hantavirus cases in recent decades; rodent trapping along the couple's travel route is underway.
How was Case 2 (the Dutch woman) confirmed?
Case 2 deteriorated on a Saint Helena → Johannesburg flight on April 25 and died in the Johannesburg emergency department on April 26. PCR confirmation of Andes hantavirus was returned on May 4, making her the only PCR-confirmed hantavirus death in the cluster (per CNN, Africa CDC, and the WHO DG briefing).
Will the ship be allowed to dock in Tenerife?
Spain's health minister has indicated MV Hondius is expected to dock in Tenerife within approximately 3 days of May 7, with disembarkation under public-health protocols. Las Palmas had earlier denied port entry. Spain's Ministerio de Sanidad is actively engaged.
Are there confirmed US cases from this cluster?
No. The CDC has confirmed monitoring of travelers in 3+ states (per Reuters), but as of May 7 there are no PCR-confirmed US cases. See the US-states page for the state-by-state status.
What about the KLM flight attendant?
A KLM flight attendant from Haarlem was hospitalized at Amsterdam UMC after brief contact with Case 2. Symptoms have been described as mild; test results were pending as of May 7. Full background here.
Sources cited
Continue: Live cluster map · Flight attendant case · US states monitoring · Updates