Five confirmed hantavirus cases have been identified aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship, with more than 100 passengers remaining onboard under health observation by the World Health Organization (WHO). The ship is currently sailing towards the Canary Islands following medical evacuations of three passengers, two of whom are in serious condition.
U.S. Passenger Monitoring and Official Coordination
Health authorities in Arizona and Georgia are monitoring three passengers who returned to the United States after traveling on the MV Hondius. The Arizona Department of Health Services is tracking one resident, while the Georgia Department of Public Health is overseeing two others. None have shown symptoms so far.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasized that “the risk to the American public is extremely low” and stated their top priority is the safety of U.S. passengers. The CDC also noted that the Department of State is coordinating government response including direct passenger contact and international health engagement.
Medical Evacuations and Onboard Care
Three passengers were medically evacuated from the MV Hondius while it was off the coast of Cape Verde, including two with serious symptoms and one asymptomatic close contact of a passenger who died on May 2. The two symptomatic evacuees have arrived in the Netherlands receiving specialist medical
care. Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator, reported these developments and announced deployment of two infectious disease physicians from the Dutch Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) to expand onboard medical services during the ship’s three to four day voyage to the Canary Islands.
Virus Strain and Crew Impact
The hantavirus strain involved is the Andes variant, identified by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of South Africa and Geneva University Hospitals, known for potential person-to-person transmission. Two additional cases have been confirmed among crewmembers, raising the total confirmed cases aboard to five. WHO officials indicated that crew and medical staff who treated the infected
passengers are at higher risk than other individuals onboard. A Swiss passenger infected with hantavirus sought hospital treatment in Zurich after receiving notification from the ship’s operator.
Official Statements and Flight Notifications
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed the evacuations and ongoing monitoring, describing the overall public health risk as low. The Dutch airline KLM informed passengers of a potential exposure to an infected person who had briefly been on a KLM flight departing Johannesburg on April 25; the passenger was denied travel due to medical condition and later died in Johannesburg. Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo opposed allowing MV Hondius to dock in Tenerife,
citing insufficient information to reassure public safety. Spain’s health minister Mónica García declared plans for a “joint screening and evacuation mechanism” to repatriate foreign passengers once the ship arrives at the port of Granadilla de Abona in the Canary Islands.
Passenger Impact and Docking Dispute
Some passengers disembarked before the hantavirus cluster was detected and are advised in some instances to self-isolate. The regional government of the Canary Islands resists the ship’s docking at Tenerife port over safety concerns. Spain intends to repatriate foreign passengers through a coordinated process, except where medical conditions prevent travel. WHO and Oceanwide Expeditions continue collaboration to monitor all passengers
and crew on board and those who have disembarked, supporting appropriate medical follow-up and evacuation where necessary.
