Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – The cruise ship currently besieged by a suspected hantavirus outbreak departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, 2026. Named the MV Hondius, it is an expedition ship, with passengers disembarking on various islands in the Atlantic Ocean for birdwatching and other activities. It has not been ruled out that these islands may have been a source of exposure to the virus.
Every detail of the trip has been scrutinized by experts coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), who define the global risk associated with the outbreak as low but want to reconstruct its dynamics. Their goal: to understand the origin of the infections that have so far caused seven cases (two confirmed and five suspected) and three deaths.
As explained in Geneva,
One hypothesis is that the first infections may have occurred outside the ship and that there may have been human-to-human transmission between people in close contact.
Meanwhile, a WHO report reconstructed the itinerary followed by the vessel with its 88 passengers and 59 crew members (147 total) across the South Atlantic. The voyage included numerous stops in remote and ecologically diverse regions: continental Antarctica, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island.
“It was not possible to determine the extent of passengers' contact with local wildlife during the voyage, or before boarding in Ushuaia,” the agency explains in the report.
On board, passengers and crew represent 23 nationalities. Authorities from the States Parties involved in managing the event to date—Cape Verde, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, and the United Kingdom—have initiated coordinated response measures, including ongoing collaboration between WHO and the National Focal Points for the International Health Regulations (IHR) of Cape Verde, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom, to ensure timely information sharing and coordination of actions.
Passengers on board have been advised to maintain maximum physical distancing and remain in their cabins, where possible, according to the WHO, while a comprehensive epidemiological investigation continues to determine the source of exposure. The Argentina Focal Point has shared passenger and crew lists with other Focal Points, based on each person's nationality. Discussions regarding the clinical management and medical evacuation of symptomatic passengers have taken place between the WHO Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Secretariat and the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC).
In addition to the South African National Institute for Infectious Diseases, which performed laboratory tests and confirmed the hantavirus infection, additional laboratory samples taken from symptomatic passengers are being sent, with the support of the WHO, to the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal, for analysis.
WHO reports that it has recommended that the States involved in this event "continue efforts regarding detection, investigation, reporting, case management, infection control, and public health management on board, including ship sanitation measures, in close coordination with the transport operator, in order to prevent and control infections caused by hantaviruses."
In the context of the current outbreak, the UN health agency continues, "passengers and crew members must practice frequent hand hygiene, remain vigilant for hantavirus symptoms, and actively monitor for symptoms for 45 days. Crew must ensure adequate environmental cleaning (avoiding dry cleaning) and proper ventilation of the ship. Passengers and crew members who exhibit symptoms must inform the onboard medical staff and self-isolate. If respiratory symptoms occur, respiratory hygiene practices must be observed and a surgical mask must be worn. Maintaining high levels of vigilance is essential." The WHO, the focus note concludes, "advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions based on the information currently available on this event."
Meanwhile, the ship's docking remains a mystery. Shortly after the WHO indicated that Spain could welcome the vessel to the Canary Islands, the Spanish Ministry of Health declared that Madrid would not make "any decision" on docking until the "epidemiological data" had been analyzed. "Based on the epidemiological data collected on board the ship during its passage through Cape Verde, a decision will be made regarding the most appropriate port of call. Until then, the Ministry of Health will not make any decisions, as we have communicated to the World Health Organization," the ministry wrote on X.
The WHO had previously announced that Spain had agreed to allow the ship to dock in the Canary Islands. "The current plan is for the ship to continue its journey to the Canary Islands." Spanish authorities "have indicated that they will welcome it in order to conduct a full investigation" and "naturally, to assess the risks to passengers on board," Maria Van Kerkhove, acting director of the WHO's Department for Prevention and Preparedness for Epidemics and Pandemics, told reporters in Geneva.
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international/foreign
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