An outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus on the MV Hondius cruise ship has killed three people and sickened five others [1, 3].
The incident is significant because the Andes strain is endemic to South America and is associated with high mortality rates. The spread of the virus on a commercial vessel has triggered a multinational health response as passengers return to their home countries.
The ship departed from Argentina in April 2026 [2, 3] and was traveling through the Atlantic Ocean toward the Canary Islands [3]. Health officials identified rodents on the ship as the carriers of the virus [2, 4].
According to reports, eight passengers contracted the virus during the voyage [3]. The World Health Organization received a report regarding the situation on May 2, 2026 [2]. Following the outbreak, exposed passengers have traveled to the U.S., the UK, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Switzerland [1].
"The strain of hantavirus that has killed three people and sickened five others on a cruise ship is the Andes strain," NBC News said [4].
Medical teams are currently monitoring the health of passengers who were on board during the outbreak to prevent further transmission. The Andes strain is particularly dangerous because, unlike some other hantaviruses, it can potentially be transmitted between humans in close quarters, a risk heightened by the confined environment of a cruise ship.
“The outbreak has killed three people and sickened five others.”
This outbreak highlights the risks of zoonotic disease transmission in the cruise industry, where confined spaces can accelerate the spread of pathogens. Because the Andes strain is rare outside of South America, the movement of passengers to five different countries necessitates a coordinated international surveillance effort to ensure no secondary clusters emerge in non-endemic regions.
