The hantavirus outbreak connected to the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius is continuing to grow, with nine confirmed cases reported so far and health officials warning that more infections could surface in the coming weeks. Around 150 passengers and crew members have now started returning home from Spain’s Canary Islands through military and government-operated flights as global monitoring efforts intensify.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised a 42-day quarantine and active health monitoring for anyone who travelled on the ship or came into close contact with infected individuals. Travellers have been asked to regularly check for symptoms such as fever, fatigue, breathing issues, and muscle pain. However, the quarantine recommendation is currently voluntary and can be completed either at home or in designated isolation facilities.
The outbreak has already resulted in three deaths, including a Dutch couple and a German passenger. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has clarified that the situation is “not another Covid-19,” while also cautioning that additional cases remain likely because of the virus’s long incubation period and close interactions among passengers aboard the vessel.
Several countries have now reported confirmed cases, suspected infections, or passengers under observation. In the United States, authorities are monitoring passengers in multiple states including Nebraska, Georgia, Kansas, and Washington. France has confirmed one serious case, while the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and South Africa are also tracking passengers and close contacts linked to the ship.
The outbreak has triggered a large-scale international contact-tracing operation, with passengers from more than 20 countries believed to have been aboard the MV Hondius. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has advised that all passengers should be treated as high-risk contacts and monitored for up to six weeks.
Health experts say the overall risk to the general public remains low. Hantavirus is usually spread through exposure to infected rodents, though this outbreak has raised concerns over limited human-to-human transmission linked to the Andes strain of the virus.