Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius claims three lives, ship docks in Spain for evacuations

Three people gave died from the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) outbreak on board MV Hondius in the past week. The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was on an Antarctica and South Atlantic expedition with nearly 150 passengers and members of the crew. Several others have started showing symptoms of the viral infection.

After the confirmation of the outbreak, the vessel, which was originally on an expedition, was subsequently asked to remain offshore near Cape Verde in West African seas. While the vessel remained offshore, international organizations are conducting coordinated evacuations, testing and contact tracing. This will help in making sure that the outbreak can be contained at the earliest.

The official reports suggest that three of the ship occupants, who were in urgent need of treatment have been evacuated by air ambulance from the vessel. MV Hondius has reached Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary islands. Upon reaching this destination, the people who are currently onboard the vessel will undergo proper medical assessment.

Llegada del MV #Hondius a las aguas territoriales españolas. Un buque de la #GuardiaCivil lo ha escoltado hasta el puerto de Granadilla, donde hay un preparado un dispositivo especial para recibir a los ocupantes del barco. pic.twitter.com/uW5QD3a28g

— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) May 10, 2026

Passengers who are found fit to travel, will be sent back to their home countries, where they will be required to undergo a period of quarantine.

How the outbreak started

The MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, for an Antarctic and South Atlantic expedition on 1 April 2026. The first confirmed case of hantavirus onboard was of a 69-year-old Dutch man, who later died. The first victim of the outbreak was recognized on April 11. His body, along with his wife, disembarked from the vessel on April 24 at St Helena.

Footage captured aboard the MV Hondius shows the ship's captain informing travelers that a passenger on the cruise had passed away. pic.twitter.com/EW5gcdbRrt

— New York Post (@nypost) May 6, 2026

The wife, who was tested positive for Hantavirus, succumbed to the infection during treatment at the Johannesburg hospital. Afterwards, another passenger, third to have exhibited infection symptoms also died on the ship.

The death of the third passenger prompted passengers to be evacuated from the ship in South Africa. As of early May, WHO confirmed more than five laboratory confirmed cases of Hantavirus on the ship. Several more persons were suspected of being infected.

As per the investigation the outbreak likely started several days before the first case came out. The passengers of the vehicle had travelled through remote regions, including Antarctica and isolated South Atlantic islands. This may have contributed to making early detection and response difficult.

According to some investigation, the Dutch couple, who were the first people to be infected, and subsequently succumb to the infections may have brought the virus on the vessel. The officials have shared that the Dutch couple visited a rubbish dump during a bird-watching exercise.

They are suspected to have come in contact with rodents on this outing and brought back infection which subsequently spread through their urine, droppings and saliva.

World Response following Hantavirus outbreak on MV Hondius

The world health organization has been actively working with the administrations of various nations across the world on easing concerns about the outbreak. The organization is actively engaged in contact tracing for all the passengers on the MV Hondius.

As of May 9, 2026, the vehicle, carrying 149 passengers and crew members from 23 nations across the globe has been diverted to Spain. The ship which was anchored off the coast of Cape Verde for several days is sailing towards Canary Islands. The authorities confirm that the ship is expected to dock in Tenerife on Sunday around midday.

Preparativos del dispositivo para recibir a los ocupantes del MV #Hondius en el puerto de Granadilla, en Tenerife.

Participan alrededor de 360 efectivos de la #GuardiaCivil, incluyendo medios aéreos, varias embarcaciones del ervicio marítimo, especialistas NRBQ, GRS y unidades… pic.twitter.com/yKxGn0uVYs

— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) May 10, 2026

On May 10,2026 the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius docked in Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday, where passengers will be evacuated on repatriation flights.

The government of Spain is treating the arrival as a major international health operation and gave the ship the approval to dock as part of their humanitarian duties. The Spanish Minister of Health has claimed that they will assess the crew and passengers which are onboard immediately after docking.

The passengers who do not show any symptoms will be transferred under strict controls to a cordoned-off section of the airport. After this, the people who do not show any symptoms will be  repatriated to their home countries on special charter flight.

The Philippines has the largest group of 38 passengers onboard the MV Hondius. The number of passengers from the United Kingdom is 23. The group from the United States consists of 17, Spain and the Netherlands have 14 and 13 passengers respectively. Citizens from 18 other countries are also on board.