How did the infection get on the luxury ship?
The cruise ship MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, set sail on April 1, 2026 with approximately 150 people on board – 88 passengers from 23 countries and 59 crew members. It was an exclusive expedition with tickets worth 14,000 to 22,000 euros, the destination of which was Antarctica, South Georgia and some of the most remote islands in the world, including Tristan da Cunha.
Although the occurrence of hantavirus on cruise ships is a historical anomaly, WHO experts have a relatively clear hypothesis. Since the certifications confirmed that there are no rats or mice on the ship itself, it is assumed that the so-called “patient zero” (the first patient), who was a Dutch couple, was infected before boarding.
Before the cruise, the couple traveled through the interior of Argentina, where the Andes tribe is active. The incubation period of the virus is highly variable, varying from one to eight weeks, which explains why the first symptoms only appeared in the open sea.
Another possibility, which investigators have not ruled out, is infection during mainland birding and wildlife watching excursions on remote islands.
Life on board and social networks
The atmosphere on the ship, which is currently in quarantine, is reportedly a mixture of caution, uncertainty and an effort to maintain calm. described the emotional expressions of American vlogger Jake Rosmarin, who shared his concerns on TikTok, saying: “We’re not just headlines, we’re people with families waiting for them at home.” However, he later corrected his statements, stating that the passengers are well taken care of and trying to focus on the positives.
Another passenger, Kasem Hato, pointed out that the situation is under control and that it is being unnecessarily exaggerated. Passengers spend their time reading, watching movies and following strict safety measures – wearing masks, disinfecting their hands and minimizing social contact. Abandoned luxury lounges and medical personnel in protective suits, however, remind of the seriousness of the situation.
Chronology of events
To date, the World Health Organization has registered eight cases linked to the ship, of which three are confirmed and five are suspected. The infection claimed three lives. Just five days after the MV Hondius sailed from Ushuaia, Argentina, a 70-year-old Dutch passenger began experiencing the first flu-like symptoms. On April 11, the Dutchman’s condition worsened rapidly, respiratory problems arose and he died on board.
Thirteen days later, the body of the deceased was landed on the island of Saint Helena. His wife, who had meanwhile developed gastrointestinal problems, left the ship to accompany the repatriation. However, during a flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg on April 25, the condition of the 69-year-old Dutch woman drastically worsened. Shortly after being transferred to an emergency room in South Africa, the woman died a day later. Later, hantavirus (Andes strain) was confirmed in the laboratory.
And only a day later, the 69-year-old British passenger also started having serious stomach problems. He was evacuated to Johannesburg, where he is currently in intensive care. They confirmed the presence of hantavirus in him. Subsequently, on May 2, a 69-year-old German citizen also died on board with pneumonia. They are still investigating the presence of the virus in her.
In addition, two crew members, including the British ship’s doctor, required urgent care for acute respiratory symptoms. Another Swiss citizen who left the ship earlier is currently being treated in a hospital in Zurich.
International response and diplomatic rift
As soon as the presence of hantavirus was confirmed, a massive international logistics operation was launched. WHO has begun intensive contact tracing. They are looking not only at the people on the ship, but especially the 82 passengers and six crew members of the commercial Airlink flight from Saint Helena on which the deceased Dutch woman was traveling. The tracing includes first responders, airport staff and paramedics in South Africa.
The biggest problem, however, is the fate of the ship itself, which was supposed to end its 46-day voyage. Cape Verde assessed that their health system did not have the necessary infrastructure to handle a high-risk infectious disease and refused to accept the ship.
Thus Spain entered the game. The Ministry of Health in Madrid has agreed that the ship will proceed with the evacuation and then dock in the Canary Islands. They argued a moral and legal obligation, since there are also Spanish citizens on board. The transport of the infected to the mainland should take place in special isolated boxes and ambulances to completely exclude contact with the local population.
However, this decision provoked a sharp political reaction. The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, strongly disagreed. For the Spanish radio Onda Cero, he declared that he will not allow the ship to dock until he receives 100% guarantees and expert documents on safety.
He accused Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s central government of a lack of communication and demanded an urgent meeting. At the same time, the Netherlands is also preparing special medical flights for the repatriation of seriously ill crew members.
A virus known for centuries
Although the media interest in the MV Hondius is huge, hantaviruses have been known for centuries. Experts estimate that around 150,000 cases occur worldwide each year, mainly in China and Asia. In the USA, the virus became widely known in the early 1990s, and since then less than a thousand cases have been recorded. Interestingly, Betsy Arakawa, the wife of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, also succumbed to the disease in early 2025 while cleaning the exterior of her home in New Mexico.
There is no specific medicine or antiviral for it. Treatment is exclusively supportive – patients receive oxygen, in severe cases they are intubated and connected to pulmonary ventilation, or they undergo kidney dialysis. Early medical attention is key.
The MV Hondius case is likely to provide the scientific community with invaluable data. Researchers, such as Professor Angela Luisová from the University of Montana and experts from Australia’s CSIRO, hope that a thorough investigation of this isolated environment will help definitively answer questions about the mechanisms of human-to-human transmission of the Andes tribe and why the virus causes only a mild fever in some and fatal lung failure in others.
For the average person, the best prevention remains minimizing contact with rodents. Experts warn against sweeping or vacuuming dried mouse droppings – the premises must first be ventilated, sprayed with Sava solution and wiped with a damp cloth using a respirator and gloves.
And while the situation on the stranded luxury ship is certainly traumatic for its passengers, there is no indication that the world is at risk of a global hantavirus pandemic.
