Three Dead in Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius; Norovirus Outbreak Confines Ship in Bordeaux

Health authorities reported 11 hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship as of May 12 including three deaths and nine laboratory confirmations. All cases involve passengers or crew from the vessel that departed Ushuaia Argentina on April 1 for a South Atlantic itinerary that included Antarctica South Georgia and several remote islands.

The World Health Organization stated it expects additional cases in coming weeks given the ship's confined environment and the virus incubation period but reported no sign of a larger community outbreak. A French woman infected during the outbreak is critically ill in a Paris hospital and receiving treatment with an artificial lung a doctor at the facility said Tuesday.

Two other passengers were evacuated for care in the Netherlands while a British man who had been aboard remains in intensive care in Johannesburg South Africa. The strain involved is the Andes hantavirus which can transmit between humans through close prolonged contact though such spread remains uncommon.

The ship stopped at Saint Helena where one passenger who later died had disembarked before receiving treatment in South Africa. A man in Switzerland who left the vessel at the end of April has tested positive after developing symptoms. Two British nationals who were on the ship but remain asymptomatic are self-isolating at home according to the UK Health Security Agency.

Ten Britons connected to the vessel including residents of the UK overseas territories of St Helena and Ascension Island plus some medical staff are being brought to Britain to complete self-isolation with access to specialist medical services. The UK Health Security Agency described the relocation as a precautionary measure.

In Illinois state health officials are investigating a separate potential hantavirus case in a Winnebago County resident with no travel history or connection to the cruise ship. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting confirmatory testing that could take up to 10 days.

Health officials noted only seven hantavirus cases have been confirmed in Illinois since 1993 with the last in March 2025. A University of Nebraska laboratory has developed a diagnostic test capable of detecting the Andes virus before symptoms become severe and is preparing to screen Americans who returned from the affected cruise.

The World Health Organization has issued a technical note recommending 42-day home or facility quarantine for all passengers and crew starting from their departure date from the ship.

The ship which carries a majority of British and Irish passengers had been on a 14-night itinerary of western France and Spain after departing Liverpool. French health authorities requested a routine review of the vessel's health records and samples have been sent for testing at Bordeaux university hospital with results expected after a minimum of six hours.

Ambassador Cruise Line confirmed that a number of guests and crew have displayed symptoms consistent with gastrointestinal illness. The operator said it immediately implemented enhanced sanitation protocols including increased cleaning in public areas assisted dining service and repeated guidance on hand hygiene.

Planned activities for the day were cancelled with passengers receiving full refunds while testing continues and clearance from authorities is awaited before anyone can disembark. The gastrointestinal cases are not believed linked to the hantavirus outbreak on the separate MV Hondius vessel.

Officers in France confirmed the ship remains docked with passengers and crew unable to leave pending the outcome of health reviews.

Hantaviruses are typically carried by rodents and transmitted to humans through contact with urine droppings or saliva. The Andes strain identified on the MV Hondius is one of few variants known to allow limited human-to-human transmission during the early phase of illness among close contacts.

Investigations are examining whether initial exposure occurred on the ship during shore excursions or through some other shared environment. Symptoms usually begin with fever muscle aches headache and gastrointestinal distress before potentially progressing to severe respiratory illness.

Diagnosis requires specialist blood tests. The virus is not considered easily transmissible between people and precautions on board have focused on minimizing any risk of further spread. >"We expect more cases given the dynamics of spread on a ship and the virus’ incubation period.

" — WHO statement, May 12 (WHO) Public health responses have included contact tracing in multiple countries. France has identified 22 contact cases and intensified surveillance though authorities said there is no widespread transmission at this time.

The head of the World Health Organization warned the situation could still change and more confirmed cases might emerge.