Crossref · Wavefront propagation in a hyperbolic model of hantavirus infection · 1s agoCrossref · Could bradykinin pathway inhibition change the course of severe hantavirus disease? · 1s agoCrossref · Outbreak at Sea: The MV Hondius Hantavirus Cluster as a Sentinel for Global Pandemic Readiness · 1s agoCrossref · Microbe snapshots: Hantavirus (Sin Nombre) · 1s agoCrossref · Hantavirus on the rise: clinical, virological, immunological, and public health perspectives · 1s agoCrossref · Pregnancy and hantavirus infection: maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes − a systematic review · 1s agoCrossref · Emerging threat of hantavirus infection: Public health challenges during an international cruise ship outbreak · 1s agoCrossref · “Hantavirus at sea: Why cruise ships must be ready for animal-borne disease.” · 1s agoCrossref · Wavefront propagation in a hyperbolic model of hantavirus infection · 1s agoCrossref · Could bradykinin pathway inhibition change the course of severe hantavirus disease? · 1s agoCrossref · Outbreak at Sea: The MV Hondius Hantavirus Cluster as a Sentinel for Global Pandemic Readiness · 1s agoCrossref · Microbe snapshots: Hantavirus (Sin Nombre) · 1s agoCrossref · Hantavirus on the rise: clinical, virological, immunological, and public health perspectives · 1s agoCrossref · Pregnancy and hantavirus infection: maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes − a systematic review · 1s agoCrossref · Emerging threat of hantavirus infection: Public health challenges during an international cruise ship outbreak · 1s agoCrossref · “Hantavirus at sea: Why cruise ships must be ready for animal-borne disease.” · 1s ago
● LiveWHO DON5997 cases · 3 deathsUpdated 2026-05-06 14:42:00 UTC

MV Hondius hantavirus cluster — live

On 1 April 2026, the expedition cruise MV Hondius departed Ushuaia, Argentina with 147 people aboard. By early May 2026 the ship had reported 7 cases and 3 deaths from confirmed Andes hantavirus, with five of seven samples PCR-positive at Geneva University. WHO Disease Outbreak News DON599 assesses global public-health risk as LOW.

If you were aboard. Contact your national public health authority. Monitor for fever, muscle aches, and shortness of breath for 45 days from disembarkation. See symptoms for the full prodrome.

What happened

Andes virus is the only hantavirus with documented person-to-person transmission, and even then only in close prolonged contact. A confined cruise-ship environment provides exactly that. The index case developed a febrile prodrome ~22 days into the voyage and progressed to acute respiratory distress; close contacts followed within days. Reference sequencing places the strain in the ANDV-Patag clade.

Timeline

  1. 2026-04-01
    08:00 UTC
    DEPART

    MV Hondius departs Ushuaia, Argentina

    Expedition cruise leaves Ushuaia with 147 people aboard (96 passengers, 51 crew) bound for South Atlantic islands.

  2. 2026-04-06
    12:00 UTC
    INDEX

    First illness onset aboard: 70-year-old Dutch passenger

    First reported illness onset on the MV Hondius is a 70-year-old Dutch passenger; subsequent cases through 28 April. Onsets characterised by fever, GI symptoms, then rapid progression to pneumonia, ARDS, and shock per WHO DON599.

  3. 2026-04-28
    18:00 UTC
    CASE+

    Three additional cases reported among close contacts

    Cabin-mates and one crew member who provided care show similar prodrome. Pattern suggests close-contact transmission, raising suspicion of Andes hantavirus.

  4. 2026-05-01
    09:30 UTC
    DEATH

    First fatality at sea

    Index case dies after rapid HCPS progression. Samples collected for shore-side testing. Ship requests urgent medical evacuation at next port.

  5. 2026-05-02
    14:00 UTC
    EVAC

    Two patients air-evacuated to Amsterdam and Frankfurt ICUs

    Air ambulance MD-902 evacuates two critical patients from Praia, Cabo Verde, for ECMO-capable care.

  6. 2026-05-03
    10:00 UTC
    CONFIRM

    Andes virus PCR-positive at Geneva University

    Reference laboratory confirms Andes orthohantavirus in 5 of 7 samples. Metagenomics places strain in ANDV-Patag clade. Two further deaths reported aboard.

  7. 2026-05-04
    08:00 UTC
    WHO

    WHO Disease Outbreak News DON599 published

    WHO confirms 7 cases including 3 deaths, characterises the cluster as multi-country, assesses global public-health risk as LOW pending further data.

  8. 2026-05-05
    10:00 UTC
    ADVISORY

    Africa CDC issues regional statement

    Africa CDC coordinates with Cabo Verde authorities on docking decision and cross-border contact tracing of disembarked passengers.

  9. 2026-05-06
    14:42 UTC
    GENOMIC

    GISAID receives 14 Andes virus sequences

    Sequences submitted by Geneva University and NICD South Africa show 99.7% identity to ANDV-Patag reference, supporting recent shared exposure source.

What we're watching

Sources

Disclaimer. Live updates may include preliminary information. Always verify with your national public health authority before acting on outbreak content.