The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Thursday that a deadly hantavirus outbreak on the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius has concluded. The agency reported 12 confirmed cases and one probable infection aboard the vessel, resulting in three fatalities.
The outbreak, which began in April during a voyage from Argentina to Antarctica and other Southern Atlantic destinations, initially appeared as a common gastrointestinal illness but rapidly escalated into a public health emergency.
The WHO’s declaration followed the completion of quarantine and negative test results from the last suspected case. The agency noted that the Andes subtype of hantavirus, typically endemic to Argentina’s Patagonia region, was identified as the source of infections.
Passengers and crew, numbering around 175 at the start of the trip, were stranded after the ship was denied docking in multiple countries due to the outbreak. The vessel finally disembarked in Spain’s Tenerife on May 9, with remaining occupants screened and released after testing.
Key figures in the outbreak included a Dutch passenger who died aboard on April 11 and his wife, who succumbed in Johannesburg on April 26 after leaving the ship. A German woman also died on the vessel on May 2. Over 650 contacts were traced across 30+ countries, and health officials implemented quarantine measures for travelers.
The WHO emphasized that the virus originated on land, not from the ship itself, and highlighted the need for global collaboration to develop diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines for future outbreaks. Despite the lack of specific therapies or widely available vaccines, researchers are studying the disease’s spread to improve preparedness.