Global health authorities are on high alert following a rare outbreak of hantavirus aboard the Dutch-flagged expedition vessel MV Hondius. As of May 10, 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed eight cases, including three fatalities, linked to a voyage that spanned from the tip of South America to the remote islands of the South Atlantic.
The outbreak was first flagged to the WHO on May 2 by the UK’s International Health Regulations (IHR) Focal Point. Laboratory testing conducted at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa has identified the pathogen as the Andes hantavirus (ANDV). Unlike most hantavirus strains, which are strictly zoonotic, the Andes strain is known for its potential—though limited—to spread through close human-to-human contact.
The vessel, carrying 147 passengers and crew of 23 nationalities, departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1. The itinerary included stops in Antarctica, South Georgia, and Saint Helena before the cluster of severe respiratory illness emerged. Epidemiological tracking suggests the index case may have contracted the virus in Argentina or Chile prior to boarding.
Currently, the ship is docked at Grandilla, Tenerife, where a highly coordinated international evacuation is underway. Passengers are disembarking under strict protocol to board repatriation flights, while the WHO continues to assess the global risk as “low” but the risk to those on board as “moderate.”
