WHO confirms 5 hantavirus cases on cruise ship MV Hondius, 12 nations alerted
Synopsis
A hantavirus outbreak aboard cruise ship MV Hondius has gone global: WHO has confirmed five cases, suspects three more, and has alerted 12 countries. With 149 passengers of 23 nationalities onboard, evacuation flights grounded in the Canary Islands due to technical failure, and diagnostic kits being rushed from Argentina, this is the most geographically complex hantavirus event in recent memory.
Key Takeaways
WHO confirmed five hantavirus cases and three suspected cases linked to cruise ship MV Hondius on 7 May 2025 .
12 countries have been formally notified, including the US , UK , Germany , Singapore , and New Zealand .
The ship carries 149 people of 23 nationalities , operated by Dutch firm Oceanwide Expeditions .
Around 2,500 hantavirus diagnostic kits are being shipped from laboratories in Argentina to five countries.
Two suspected patients aboard a grounded air ambulance in Spain's Canary Islands are awaiting a replacement aircraft after a technical malfunction.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is expected to remain limited if public health measures are implemented quickly.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, 7 May 2025 confirmed five hantavirus cases linked to an outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, while three additional cases remain suspected. The agency has formally notified 12 countries whose nationals disembarked the vessel during its voyage, including a stop at the remote British territory of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Countries Placed on Alert
The 12 nations informed by WHO are Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The vessel carries 149 people of 23 nationalities, according to Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship's Dutch operator.
WHO Chief Warns of Possible Additional Cases
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a media briefing in Geneva that the agency currently expects the outbreak to remain
Point of View
But this one is uniquely complex — a moving vessel, 23 nationalities, and disembarkation at a remote Atlantic island before the pathogen was identified. The logistical nightmare of tracing contacts across 12 countries simultaneously is a stress test for global health surveillance. Notably, the grounding of the evacuation aircraft in the Canary Islands after Morocco reportedly denied landing clearance adds a diplomatic dimension that WHO's clinical response framework is not designed to resolve. The real question is how quickly national health authorities can complete contact tracing before incubation windows close.
NationPress
10 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship MV Hondius?
WHO confirmed five hantavirus cases and three suspected cases linked to passengers aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which stopped at Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. The outbreak has triggered alerts across 12 countries whose nationals were on the vessel.
Which countries have been alerted about the MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak?
WHO has notified Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. All 12 countries had nationals who disembarked the ship during its voyage.
Is the hantavirus outbreak expected to spread further?
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is expected to remain limited if appropriate public health measures are implemented quickly and effectively. However, he warned that additional cases remain possible as contact tracing continues across multiple countries.
What is happening with the evacuation of passengers from MV Hondius?
Two suspected hantavirus patients evacuated from MV Hondius were stranded aboard a grounded air ambulance in Spain's Canary Islands after a technical malfunction. The aircraft had departed from Cape Verde and was denied landing clearance in Marrakesh, Morocco, according to Spanish media reports.
What diagnostic support is being provided for the outbreak?
Around 2,500 hantavirus diagnostic kits are being shipped from laboratories in Argentina to five countries to support testing and contact tracing efforts linked to the MV Hondius outbreak.
