MV Hondius Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak: Investigation, Cases, and Public Health Response

A hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde has resulted in 5 laboratory-confirmed cases and 3 deaths as of mid-April. The Andes strain, identified through lab testing, spread among passengers and crew, with evidence of person-to-person transmission during early-stage illness. The Dutch couple who were the first cases likely acquired the virus during a bird-watching expedition through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay where the long-tailed pygmy rice rat—the virus's natural host—is present. Cases were evacuated to multiple countries including South Africa, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK. The ship is being directed to the Canary Islands for passenger repatriation and monitoring. Public health officials are compiling travel histories and monitoring contacts. Genomic sequencing is underway in three laboratories to compare the outbreak strain with previous Andes virus sequences. Health authorities emphasize the risk to the general public remains low, as hantavirus transmission differs substantially from respiratory viruses like COVID-19 or influenza.