WHO Reports 11 Hantavirus Cases Linked to Cruise Ship MV Hondius

The World Health Organization issued its third Disease Outbreak News report on a hantavirus cluster linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship. The initial notification reached WHO on 2 May 2026 from authorities in the United Kingdom regarding severe acute respiratory illness cases aboard the Dutch-flagged vessel.

As of 13 May, officials have reported a total of 11 cases, including three deaths, for a case fatality ratio of 27 percent. Eight cases were laboratory-confirmed as Andes virus infection, two are classified as probable, and one remains inconclusive pending further testing in the United States.

All identified individuals were passengers on the ship. Since the previous Disease Outbreak News update published on 8 May, two additional confirmed cases and one inconclusive result have been recorded. These include one confirmed case from France who developed symptoms during repatriation, one confirmed case from Spain who tested positive upon arrival but remains asymptomatic, and one inconclusive case involving a passenger repatriated to the United States.

Investigations indicate the first case likely acquired the infection on land prior to boarding. Current evidence points to subsequent human-to-human transmission aboard the ship, supported by preliminary genetic sequencing showing near-identical viral sequences among cases.

Authorities in Argentina and Chile are collaborating on efforts to identify the precise source of the initial exposure.

National authorities have been informed through International Health Regulations channels and are supporting international contact tracing. Follow-up is underway for passengers who disembarked in Saint Helena on 24 April, Praia in Cabo Verde on 6 May, and Tenerife in Spain on 10 and 11 May.

Individuals who may have been exposed on connecting flights have also been contacted and are under monitoring by local health authorities. The ship reached the Canary Islands on 10 May, where disembarkation occurred. Passengers and most crew members were repatriated via specially arranged non-commercial flights.

The vessel departed the Canary Islands on 11 May and is sailing to the Netherlands with 25 crew members and two Dutch health workers remaining on board to conduct monitoring and provide care if needed.

Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, caused by Andes virus in this instance, is a zoonotic respiratory disease transmitted primarily through contact with infected rodents or their excreta. Human-to-human transmission has been documented only with Andes virus, which is endemic to parts of South America including Argentina and Chile.

Symptoms typically appear between one and six weeks after exposure and can progress to severe respiratory distress. In 2025, eight countries in the Americas reported 229 hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome cases with 59 deaths. No licensed vaccines or specific treatments exist, though early supportive care in intensive care settings can improve outcomes.

WHO has assessed the current risk to the global population as low and stated it will continue monitoring the situation. The coordinated international response includes epidemiological investigations, case isolation, laboratory testing, and contact tracing.

Recommendations may be revised as additional genetic sequencing and epidemiological data become available.