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
- 2026-04-0108:00 UTCDEPART
MV Hondius departs Ushuaia, Argentina
Expedition cruise leaves Ushuaia with 147 people aboard (96 passengers, 51 crew) bound for South Atlantic islands.
- 2026-04-0612:00 UTCINDEX
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.
- 2026-04-2818:00 UTCCASE+
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.
- 2026-05-0109:30 UTCDEATH
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.
- 2026-05-0214:00 UTCEVAC
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.
- 2026-05-0310:00 UTCCONFIRM
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.
- 2026-05-0408:00 UTCWHO
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.
- 2026-05-0510:00 UTCADVISORY
Africa CDC issues regional statement
Africa CDC coordinates with Cabo Verde authorities on docking decision and cross-border contact tracing of disembarked passengers.
- 2026-05-0614:42 UTCGENOMIC
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
- Whether docking permission is granted at Praia and the timeline for disembarkation.
- Whether contact tracing of disembarked passengers turns up onward chains in the Netherlands, Germany, or South Africa.
- Genomic surveillance: how closely the MVH-2026 sequences match recent Patagonian outbreak strains.
- Whether WHO escalates the risk assessment from LOW to MODERATE.
Sources
- WHO Disease Outbreak News — DON599
- Africa CDC — multi-country hantavirus cluster statement
- GISAID — hantavirus sequence submissions
Disclaimer. Live updates may include preliminary information. Always verify with your national public health authority before acting on outbreak content.