3 passengers evacuated from hantavirus outbreak cruise ship as new case is confirmed in Europe

Three people were medically evacuated from the cruise ship at the epicenter of the ongoing hantavirus outbreak, which has already caused three deaths. 

Hantavirus is a rare, rodent-borne illness that is mostly transmitted through the inhalation of contaminated droppings, saliva, or urine.

As of May 6, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported eight cases, including three confirmed via laboratory testing. The testing also revealed that the individuals had contracted the Andes strain of the virus, which can be spread from person-to-person. 

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This strain is found in parts of South America, where the MV Hondius left around seven weeks ago. After departing Ushuaia, Argentina, the Dutch-flagged passenger vessel visited Antarctica and Saint Helena before anchoring off the coast of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde.

Earlier this week, the WHO told The Associated Press that an investigation was underway after three passengers who had been traveling aboard the ship died of the virus. 

The first, a 70-year-old Dutchman, suddenly fell ill on the ship and passed away on April 11. His wife collapsed at a South African airport while trying to fly home to the Netherlands and died at a nearby hospital. 

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Finally, a German passenger was reported dead on May 2. 

As of Wednesday, the Argentine government's leading hypothesis is that the Dutch couple contracted the hantavirus during a bird-watching tour before boarding the ship, The Associated Press said. 

Hantavirus is on the rise in Argentina, with the Argentine Health Ministry reporting 101 hantavirus infections since June 2025. That's around double the cases recorded over the same period the previous year, KARE 11 reported. 

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Public health researchers have attributed the increase to climate change, creating favorable conditions that allow the deadly virus to flourish. 

Very little risk to the global population

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Still, the WHO claims that the ongoing outbreak poses a very low risk to the global population, even amid concerns over it spreading after a passenger tested positive for the virus in Switzerland. 

"Swiss authorities have confirmed a case of #hantavirus identified in a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship. He had responded to an email from the ship’s operator informing the passengers of the health event, and presented himself to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, and is receiving care," the WHO posted on X. 

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's top epidemic expert, even told The Associated Press that the hantavirus outbreak isn't the next COVID, and most people will never be exposed to it. 

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Continuing on, the organization stated that they will continue to work with various countries to ensure that everyone, ranging from the patients to their close contacts, passengers, and crew members, has the information and support needed to stay safe and prevent the virus from widely spreading. 

The MV Hondius has been cleared to dock in Spain and is traveling from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands. The hantavirus-hit vessel will arrive in Tenerife within three days, Reuters reported. 

Once there, an epidemiological investigation will be carried out, along with a full and thorough disinfection of the 5,590-ton ship.

"Morale on the ship is high"

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Passenger Kasem Hato spoke with Reuters and said that the ship's captain had been keeping everyone informed and advised passengers to limit close contact with one another. 

"People are taking the situation seriously but without any panic, trying to keep social distancing and wearing masks to ⁠be safe," he ​said. 

"Our days have been close to normal, just waiting for authorities to find a solution, but morale on the ship is high, ​and we're keeping ourselves busy with reading, watching movies, having hot drinks, and [those kinds] of things."