South African Scientists Identify Hantavirus on MV Hondius Within 24 Hours as 3 Passengers Die
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 23
South African Scientists Identify Hantavirus on MV Hondius Within 24 Hours as 3 Passengers Die
6 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 23
Within 24 hours of a May 1 alert, South Africa’s NICD confirmed hantavirus in an evacuated MV Hondius passenger after ruling out Legionella, bird flu and other respiratory diseases.
Argentina and the passengers’ bird-watching stops in South America pushed investigators toward hantavirus, and WHO-linked experts from South America and the U.S. helped narrow the diagnosis to the Andes strain.
Three passengers have died in the outbreak, including a Dutch woman whose posthumous test in South Africa also came back positive, while the first confirmed British patient is improving in a Johannesburg hospital.
The WHO used the result to alert the ship to the outbreak; the Andes virus can spread between people, unlike most hantaviruses.
Rotterdam received the Dutch cruise ship after the voyage, where it was disinfected and remaining crew disembarked, underscoring how a remote Atlantic outbreak drew in South African labs and global health agencies.
After a deadly outbreak at sea, can expedition cruises to remote regions ever be truly safe from exotic viruses?
This rare hantavirus can spread between people. Is this an isolated incident or a global health warning?
Global Response to the 2026 MV Hondius Hantavirus Outbreak: Timeline, Transmission, and Lessons for Future Preparedness
Overview
As of May 23, 2026, global health authorities are urgently investigating a hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship. The confirmed presence of hantavirus among passengers and crew has prompted swift action to trace exposures and prevent further spread. Argentina is leading efforts to find the outbreak’s origin, while laboratory tests have confirmed cases, including the detection of the Andes virus in one patient. These findings highlight the seriousness of the situation and have driven a coordinated international response to contain the outbreak and protect public health.