The final person of the 12 confirmed cases of hantavirus completed their quarantine period and tested negative, meaning the outbreak is now over, according to the World Health Organisation.
A sign that reads "No entry. Bio hazard zone" near the cruise ship MV Hondius after it arrived at the Port of Rotterdam, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 18, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman)
02 Jul 2026 11:59PM
GENEVA: The World Health Organisation on Thursday (Jul 2) declared an end to the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship which sparked international alarm, after the last person left quarantine.There were 12 confirmed and one probable case stemming from the MV Hondius, including three deaths.But while the outbreak is now over, for scientists and experts, the work is only in its early stages, as they try to learn lessons from the episode that triggered a global health alert."Today, the final contact of a person exposed to hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius completed their quarantine period, tested negative and returned home," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference."No further cases have been reported since May 25."We are therefore very pleased to say that WHO considers the outbreak of hantavirus over."The Dutch-flagged ship set off April 1 from Ushuaia, Argentina, taking in remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, including Tristan da Cunha, before heading north to Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands, where remaining passengers were evacuated.
