Jakarta, ThedailyID — International health monitoring has intensified after a hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius spread across multiple countries, with confirmed and suspected cases now emerging in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America (May 8, 2026). Health authorities worldwide are now racing to trace passengers who left the ship before officials fully identified the outbreak.
According to the World Health Organization, the outbreak has infected at least five people and caused three deaths so far. The fatalities involved a Dutch couple and a German passenger. WHO investigators believe the outbreak involves the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, one of the few variants that can occasionally spread through close human contact.
The cruise ship departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for an Antarctic expedition. During the voyage, several passengers developed symptoms such as fever, headaches, respiratory distress, and severe fatigue. A 70-year-old Dutch passenger later died onboard on April 11 after showing severe symptoms.
Meanwhile, Singapore placed two former passengers under isolation after they shared a flight with an infected traveler who later died in South Africa. One individual later developed mild symptoms, while the second passenger remains asymptomatic. Singaporean authorities said current public risk levels remain low.
Health agencies in the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Canada, and Denmark have also started tracing passengers and close contacts. Several travelers had already left the ship at Saint Helena before authorities expanded international alerts. Reuters reported that dozens of passengers returned home across several continents before officials recognized the scale of the outbreak. (reuters.com)
In Switzerland, doctors treated a passenger who tested positive after leaving the ship earlier in the voyage. Meanwhile, Dutch authorities continue monitoring airline passengers and family members linked to infected travelers.
The outbreak has drawn global attention because human-to-human transmission among hantaviruses rarely occurs. WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said investigators suspect limited transmission happened among close contacts onboard the ship. However, WHO stressed the outbreak does not currently show pandemic potential.
The MV Hondius continues sailing under strict monitoring as it heads toward Spain’s Canary Islands. Around 150 passengers and crew members from more than 20 countries joined the voyage. Medical teams have already evacuated several critically ill individuals to hospitals in Europe and South Africa.
