As of May 7, 2026
Situation Summary
An outbreak of Andes hantavirus (Orthohantavirus andesense) is underway aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged expedition cruise ship that departed Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1, 2026. As of May 7, there are 8 reported cases (5 laboratory-confirmed, 3 suspected), including 3 deaths. The virus has been confirmed as the Andes strain, the only hantavirus known to transmit person to person, by South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases and Geneva University Hospitals.
The MV Hondius carried 147 people (88 passengers, 59 crew) of 23 nationalities, including 17 Americans. The ship is currently en route to Tenerife, Canary Islands, where it is expected to dock on May 11. Upon arrival, non-Spanish passengers will be repatriated; 14 Spanish nationals will be quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid.
A Swiss passenger who had disembarked and returned home was confirmed positive at University Hospital Zurich.
Several other reports are being investigated. Two Singaporean passengers (men in their 60s) are isolated at Singapore's National Centre for Infectious Diseases; one has a runny nose, the other is asymptomatic. A KLM flight attendant in the Netherlands has been hospitalized at Amsterdam UMC with mild symptoms who reportedly had contact with an infected passenger has been ruled out, according to Inside Medicine.
WHO assesses the global risk as low. WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus has stated that more cases may emerge in the coming weeks due to the virus's long incubation period (up to 8 weeks), but confirmed on May 7 that no additional passengers beyond the identified cases have reported symptoms. WHO has deployed an expert on board for a comprehensive medical assessment and arranged shipment of 2,500 diagnostic kits from Argentina to laboratories in five countries.
Origin
One hypothesis is that the Dutch couple who became the first two cases contracted the virus before boarding, during a bird-watching trip through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay that included sites where the long-tailed pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus), the natural reservoir for Andes virus, is present.
Confirmed Case Summary
This table reflects publicly available details about reported cases, to the best of our knowledge. This information should be considered preliminary.
| # | Nationality | Status | Key details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch, M, 70 | Suspected; died (April 11) | Died on board; probable index case. Death initially attributed to natural causes; posthumous confirmation pending. |
| 2 | Dutch, F, 69 | Confirmed; died (April 26) | Wife of case 1; flew from Saint Helena to Johannesburg on April 25; briefly boarded KLM Flight 592 but was removed before departure due to deteriorating condition; died at hospital the following day. Confirmed by NICD South Africa (PCR, May 4). |
| 3 | German, F | Suspected; died (May 2) | Died on board; developed fever on April 28 and presented with pneumonia. Cause of death under investigation. |
| 4 | British, M | Confirmed; critical | Evacuated from Ascension Island to South Africa on April 27. Confirmed by NICD South Africa. Transferred to Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands). |
| 5 | May 5 evacuee | Confirmed | Confirmed at Radboud University Medical Center (Netherlands) by RIVM, May 7. |
| 6 | May 5 evacuee | Confirmed | Confirmed at Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands), May 7. |
| 7 | May 5 evacuee | Suspected | Evacuated to Dusseldorf, Germany; reported not showing symptoms but evacuated due to close contact with case 3. Has since returned to Germany. |
| 8 | Swiss, M | Confirmed | Disembarked before outbreak recognized; confirmed Andes strain at University Hospital Zurich via Geneva HUG reference lab. |
Illness onset ranged from April 6 to April 28. Clinical presentation has included fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, and rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and shock.
U.S. Passengers
The CDC stated on May 6 that "the risk to the American public is extremely low.” Former passengers are being monitored in at least three states:
- Arizona: 1 resident under monitoring
- Georgia: 2 residents under monitoring
- Texas: 2 residents under monitoring
- Virginia: 1 resident under monitoring
- California: Undisclosed number under monitoring
None have shown symptoms as of May 7.
Risk Assessment
Risk to the U.S. general public: extremely low.