MV Hondius hantavirus cruise ship outbreak: WHO confirms 11 cases, including 9 Andes virus infections
The evacuation of the MV Hondius has now been completed. A total of 87 passengers and 35 crew members were escorted from the vessel to shore in Tenerife by emergency personnel wearing full-body protective suits and breathing masks.
The World Health Organization has confirmed 11 hantavirus-related cases linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, including nine confirmed infections of the Andes virus strain and two suspected cases, as health authorities continue monitoring passengers and crew evacuated from the vessel.
The outbreak has already claimed three lives, while several passengers remain in quarantine or under medical care across Europe.
New case confirmed in Spain
Spain’s health ministry on Tuesday (May 12) confirmed that a Spanish passenger evacuated from the ship had tested positive for hantavirus.
Quick answers to key questions
The MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak involves confirmed cases of hantavirus, including the Andes virus strain, linked to passengers and crew evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius. The outbreak has resulted in multiple deaths and ongoing monitoring of evacuated individuals.
The Andes virus, unlike most hantaviruses, can spread between people through close, prolonged contact. Poor indoor ventilation on cruise ships can increase transmission risk due to the enclosed environment and close proximity of passengers.
Symptoms of hantavirus infection typically include fever, chills, and muscle aches, appearing one to eight weeks after exposure. These initial symptoms can resemble the flu but may progress quickly in severe cases.
The WHO advises a quarantine period of 42 days for returning passengers due to the virus's long incubation period. This quarantine can be observed at home or in designated facilities, with enforcement depending on national governments.
No, the public should not be worried about a hantavirus pandemic. The Andes virus is far less infectious than SARS-CoV-2 and does not spread easily through the air, making a widespread pandemic unlikely.
The person is currently being quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid alongside 13 other Spanish nationals evacuated from the vessel. Authorities said the remaining passengers tested negative.
WHO says no evidence yet of wider outbreak
“These numbers have changed little over the past week thanks to the governments of multiple countries and partners,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during remarks in Madrid.
He added: “At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak.”
However, he cautioned that the situation could still evolve because of the virus’s long incubation period.
“Given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks,” he said.
Cruise ship evacuation completed
The evacuation of the MV Hondius has now been completed.
A total of 87 passengers and 35 crew members were escorted from the vessel to shore in Tenerife by emergency personnel wearing full-body protective suits and breathing masks.
Following the evacuation, the ship began sailing back to the Netherlands, where it will undergo cleaning and disinfection procedures, according to operator Oceanwide Expeditions.
International quarantine measures underway
Two aircraft carrying evacuated passengers and crew arrived in Eindhoven in the Netherlands overnight.
One flight transported 19 crew members and three medical staff. Dutch nationals were sent home for quarantine, while other crew members, including 17 from the Philippines, were transferred to a government quarantine facility.
A second aircraft chartered by Australian authorities carried six passengers, including four Australians, one New Zealander, and one British national residing in Australia.
Dutch officials said the passengers would remain in quarantine near the airport before continuing onward travel.
Dutch hospital staff ordered into quarantine
Twelve employees at Radboud University Medical Center have been ordered to quarantine for six weeks after incorrectly handling bodily fluids from a hantavirus patient.
The hospital said the risk of infection remained low but described the quarantine order as a precautionary measure.
“Blood and urine from the patient should have been handled according to a stricter procedure,” the hospital said in a statement.
The infected patient had arrived in the Netherlands on one of the evacuation flights from the cruise ship.
French patient remains in intensive care
In Paris, a French passenger evacuated from the ship remained in intensive care but was reported to be in stable condition.
French authorities held two emergency government meetings on Tuesday to discuss the outbreak and response measures.
Andes virus raises concern
Health officials say this is believed to be the first recorded hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship.
Hantavirus infections are typically spread through exposure to rodent droppings and are not usually transmitted between humans. However, the Andes virus strain linked to the MV Hondius outbreak has previously shown limited human-to-human transmission capability.
Symptoms can include fever, chills, and muscle pain, and may appear between one and eight weeks after exposure.
WHO advises 42-day quarantine
Tedros urged all returning passengers to remain in quarantine for 42 days either at home or in designated facilities.
He noted that enforcement of quarantine measures would depend on national governments.
WHO cannot enforce its guidance, Tedros said, adding that countries may adopt different monitoring strategies for passengers who are not showing symptoms.
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