WHO Declares MV Hondius Hantavirus Outbreak Over

The ship was held off the coast of Cabo Verde while an international evacuation operation was organised . By mid-May, passengers had disembarked in Tenerife and were repatriated to their home countries . The last new case was reported on 25 May 2026; no further cases emerged after this date .

On 22 June 2026, WHO issued an updated rapid risk assessment concluding that the outbreak was contained . On 2 July 2026, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus formally declared the outbreak over after the final close contact was released from quarantine .

Cases and fatalities

The outbreak resulted in 13 total cases — 12 laboratory-confirmed for Andes virus infection and 1 probable case — and 3 deaths, all among individuals who had travelled on the MV Hondius . The case fatality ratio was 23% .

The virus: Andes hantavirus (ANDV)

The pathogen was Andes hantavirus (ANDV), a species of orthohantavirus native to South America . Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to be capable of sustained human-to-human transmission, occurring via respiratory droplets and prolonged close contact with symptomatic patients . Most other hantaviruses are transmitted only from rodents to humans.

Origin and transmission pattern

WHO's working hypothesis, supported by genomic analysis, is that the first two cases likely acquired the infection prior to boarding — those individuals had travelled extensively in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, where Andes virus is endemic, before joining the cruise . The virus then spread among passengers and crew on the ship through human-to-human transmission, likely facilitated by the confined ship environment . Importantly, all confirmed cases were among individuals who travelled on the MV Hondius; there was no documented onward community spread .

International response across 33 countries

The ship carried passengers and crew from 23 countries (including 9 EU/EEA countries), but the response ultimately spanned 33 countries and territories worldwide . Health authorities identified and monitored more than 650 contacts across these jurisdictions . At the peak, 161 contacts were under active follow-up; by late June, 54 contacts remained in quarantine, all of whom were released by 2 July after testing negative . The coordinated effort involved repatriation flights, quarantine facilities, diagnostic testing, and contact tracing led by national public health agencies with WHO coordination .

Key caveat: The figure of 33 countries refers to jurisdictions involved in the contact tracing and public health response — i.e., countries where contacts were identified and monitored — not necessarily countries with confirmed cases . The ship itself had passengers from 23 countries.

Ongoing scientific research

Andes virus causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which has a high case-fatality rate and currently has no licensed vaccine or specific antiviral therapy . A PubMed review published on 31 May 2026 notes that ANDV is the only hantavirus capable of sustained human-to-human transmission, highlighting the need for continued research into transmission dynamics and countermeasures . The ANRS (French research agency) launched a dedicated "Hantavirus Outbreak Response Unit" to coordinate research on the MV Hondius strain, including molecular epidemiology and clinical data collection . No specific information on the status of vaccine candidates, therapeutic trials, or diagnostic advances was captured in the outbreak-focused sources searched. This remains an area where the evidence is insufficient to provide a current update.