The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the end of a hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, after the final exposed contact completed quarantine, tested negative, and returned home. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that no new infections have been recorded since May 25, effectively closing the outbreak investigation.
The outbreak began in early April 2026 aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, which departed from Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1. Prior to boarding, a group of birdwatching passengers visited areas in Argentina and Chile known for rodent populations carrying hantaviruses, creating the initial exposure risk.
On April 6, the first case was identified in a 70-year-old Dutch passenger, who developed symptoms including fever, headache, and diarrhea. He later died five days after symptom onset from acute respiratory distress. Shortly afterward, his wife also died in a South African hospital. A German passenger died on board the vessel, while additional infections were later confirmed among passengers and crew, including individuals from Germany and the United Kingdom.
By early May, WHO had been formally notified. Laboratory analysis in South Africa and Switzerland confirmed infection with the Andes virus, the only hantavirus strain known to spread between humans. This finding raised concerns about rapid transmission in the confined environment of the cruise ship.
