Hantavirus Cases Linked to MV Hondius Rise to 12 After Crew Member Tests Positive
Hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship have risen to 12 after a crew member tested positive, extending the international monitoring phase of the deadly outbreak.
A report quoting WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the newly confirmed case involved a crew member who disembarked in Tenerife, returned to the Netherlands and had been isolating since arriving home. Tedros said there are now 12 reported cases and three reported deaths, with no new deaths reported since May 2.
The update comes after the MV Hondius completed a disrupted voyage that included medical evacuations, passenger disembarkation in Tenerife and arrival in Rotterdam for quarantine and disinfection. Reuters previously reported that 25 crew members and two medical staff were subject to quarantine and testing after the ship reached the Netherlands.
The practical consequence is that the outbreak is not over for health officials, even though the ship is no longer stranded at sea. Tedros said more than 600 contacts across 30 countries remain under monitoring, and authorities are still trying to locate a small number of high-risk contacts.
Subscribe free for daily political analysis they won’t broadcast. Join 110K+ readers →
Earlier WHO updates said all laboratory-confirmed cases were Andes virus infections connected to the MV Hondius outbreak. The agency said the working hypothesis was that the first case acquired the infection before boarding, with evidence suggesting later human-to-human transmission onboard.
That does not mean the virus is spreading like COVID or flu. Health officials have repeatedly said the wider public risk remains low. Andes virus is unusual among hantaviruses because limited human-to-human spread can occur, but it generally requires prolonged close contact.
The MV Hondius is operated by Oceanwide Expeditions. AP reported that the outbreak is the first recorded hantavirus incident on a cruise ship and that Dutch officials ordered disinfection and quarantine protocols after the vessel reached Rotterdam.
The next step is continued monitoring through the quarantine period, retesting where needed and final clearance of crew, contacts and the ship itself before normal operations can resume.
Subscribe free for daily political analysis they won’t broadcast. Join 110K+ readers →