May 8, 2026

Eight people infected with hantavirus on board the liner MV Hondius. Three of them died. Where did the disease come from, how dangerous is it, and who is at risk?

As a result of an outbreak of a dangerous strain of hantavirus on board the cruise ship MV Hondius, three people died. At least eight people are infected in total. Initially, the ship's crew did not suspect it was a dangerous infectious disease and therefore did not declare a quarantine. Some passengers disembarked from the liner and could have become carriers of the infection. More details in the material from "Novaya-Europe". Outbreak on the liner. A major hantavirus outbreak occurred on board the Dutch liner MV Hondius, which departed from Argentina to Antarctica on April 1st. According to the latest data, three people have died as a result of the illness: an elderly couple from the Netherlands and a citizen of Germany. A total of eight people were diagnosed with hantavirus. The ship carried 149 people from 23 countries, including one Russian and five citizens of Ukraine. Spread of the virus. One of the passengers, a 70-year-old resident of the Netherlands, felt unwell on April 6th, six days after the ship departed from Argentina. He died five days later. His 69-year-old wife was also on board. The ship's crew did not suspect that the man had contracted hantavirus and therefore did not declare a quarantine. On April 24th, 30 passengers disembarked on St. Helena Island and traveled to different countries. They could have become carriers of the infection. Among those who disembarked was the wife of the deceased Dutchman; she took his body with her. By that time, she had already developed symptoms of the illness. Her condition rapidly worsened during her flight to South Africa. She died on April 26th directly at Johannesburg Airport. It was later discovered that she too had contracted hantavirus. After this incident, the World Health Organization raised the alarm. The third fatality was a resident of Germany, who was also on the cruise. She felt unwell on April 28th and died on May 2nd. It was only after her death that a strict quarantine was imposed on the liner. Hantavirus was also detected in people who were not on the liner. For example, the first case of hantavirus infection was recorded in Israel. It is presumed that the patient may have contracted the infection during a stay in Eastern Europe several months ago. Where is the liner now. In early May, the ship's crew planned to dock and disembark passengers in Cape Verde, but the island nation's authorities prohibited this after a "technical and epidemiological assessment." However, they allowed three passengers with suspected illness to be evacuated. They were sent to the Netherlands. Later, Spanish authorities permitted the liner to enter a port in the Canary Islands. The ship is expected to dock at the port of Tenerife on the afternoon of May 10th. The President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, stated that the Spanish authorities had not coordinated this decision with him, accusing them of incompetence. What is hantavirus and where does it come from. Hantavirus is a pulmonary disease transmitted to humans from rodents through direct contact or via saliva and urine. In this case, it is the South American Andes strain of hantavirus, which can also be transmitted through close physical contact between people. It does not spread through airborne droplets. Symptoms of hantavirus. Hantavirus presents with symptoms similar to influenza, such as high fever, muscle pain, etc. Subsequently, the infection affects the lungs and kidneys. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is fatal in approximately 50% of cases. There are no universal treatments or vaccines for this virus yet; doctors can only provide supportive care for affected organs. Are we facing a pandemic? The World Health Organization emphasizes that hantavirus is not like coronavirus, and humanity is not threatened by a pandemic, as it does not spread through airborne droplets.