Final Passengers Leave Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship as New Cases Emerge in Ongoing Outbreak
Authorities confirm three new hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius outbreak as the last passengers finally disembark, while health officials continue monitoring dozens of repatriated individuals across several countries.
- The last passengers have disembarked from the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius cruise ship
- Three new confirmed cases have been reported, bringing total infections to seven
- Health authorities across multiple countries are monitoring repatriated passengers and contacts
The last remaining passengers have finally disembarked from the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius, even as health authorities confirmed three additional positive cases linked to the deadly outbreak.
The vessel departed Tenerife for the Netherlands on Monday after its final six passengers—four Australians, one Briton, and one New Zealander—along with some crew members, left the ship.
Three deaths have already been recorded among passengers linked to the outbreak, with two of the cases confirmed to involve the virus. Health officials also confirmed new infections involving an American, a Spaniard, and a French national who had previously returned home, bringing confirmed cases to seven, with two additional suspected cases, according to the World Health Organization.
Spain’s health ministry reported that another Spanish evacuee in Madrid has also provisionally tested positive while in quarantine. Meanwhile, US and French health authorities confirmed repatriated patients are being closely monitored, with some showing mild to worsening symptoms and placed in biocontainment isolation units as a precaution.
The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, still has 27 people on board, including crew and medical staff, as repatriation and quarantine efforts continue across several countries, including the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, Spain, and the United States.
Health experts have noted that while hantavirus is primarily spread through rodents, limited human-to-human transmission has been associated with the Andes strain suspected in this outbreak. Despite growing concern, officials maintain that the risk of a wider global spread remains low.
Authorities continue to trace contacts and monitor all repatriated passengers as investigations into the outbreak and its origin continue.
