The MV Hondius cruise ship experienced a hantavirus outbreak that killed three passengers after departing from Ushuaia on April 1, 2026. WHO confirmed possible human-to-human transmission among the 147 passengers and crew. The ship arrived at Cape Verde on May 3, 2026, but was denied docking and remains anchored 3 kilometers offshore. Seven cases have been identified, with evacuations planned before the vessel moves to the Canary Islands for full investigation.
Hantavirus outbreak timeline
- ▪A Dutch passenger died on board the MV Hondius on April 11, 2026
- ▪The wife of the Dutch passenger died on April 26, 2026, and authorities confirmed a variant of hantavirus
- ▪The MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia on April 1, 2026
- ▪The MV Hondius arrived at Cape Verde on May 3, 2026
- ▪A second sick man from the MV Hondius was flown to Johannesburg on April 27, 2026
- ▪The wife of the Dutch passenger who died on the MV Hondius was flown to Johannesburg on April 24, 2026
- ▪As of May 4, 2026, seven cases of hantavirus have been identified on the MV Hondius, including two laboratory confirmed cases and five suspected cases
- ▪A German passenger on board the MV Hondius died on May 2, 2026, though the cause has not yet been confirmed
Passenger deaths
- ▪The Dutch couple who died on the MV Hondius had the woman confirmed as having hantavirus
- ▪Three people have died from the hantavirus outbreak on board the MV Hondius as of May 5, 2026
Medical evacuations
- ▪A British national is being treated for hantavirus in a South African private health facility in Sandton in critical condition
- ▪Medical personnel boarded the MV Hondius on May 5, 2026, to evacuate two people from the vessel
- ▪One patient from the MV Hondius is in intensive care in South Africa and is improving
Human-to-human transmission concerns
- ▪The World Health Organisation believes there may be human-to-human transmission of hantavirus happening among close contacts on the MV Hondius
Ship containment measures
- ▪The MV Hondius has 147 passengers and crew on board
- ▪Cape Verde will not allow the MV Hondius to dock because of public health concerns and the ship will stay in open waters close to shore
- ▪Twenty-three out of 149 people on board the MV Hondius are British nationals
- ▪The MV Hondius is anchored approximately 3 kilometers offshore of Praia, Cape Verde
WHO response
- ▪The World Health Organisation is working with Spanish authorities who have agreed to welcome the MV Hondius to the Canary Islands for a full epidemiologic investigation and full disinfection of the ship
- ▪The UK Foreign Office is working with cruise ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions to provide assistance for Britons on board the MV Hondius
Perspective of World Health Organization
- ▪The World Health Organisation is working with Spanish authorities who have agreed to welcome the MV Hondius to the Canary Islands for a full epidemiologic investigation and full disinfection of the ship
Perspective of Cape Verde authorities
- ▪Cape Verde will not allow the MV Hondius to dock because of public health concerns and the ship will stay in open waters close to shore
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