Hantavirus Outbreak on Dutch Cruise Ship MV Hondius Confirmed as Andes Strain

A Dutch cruise ship, the MV Hondius, which departed from Argentina en route to Cape Verde, has experienced a hantavirus outbreak. According to a report by *The Guardian* on May 10, testing has confirmed that surviving cases involve the Andes strain — the only hantavirus variant proven capable of human-to-human transmission. This strain is primarily found in parts of Argentina and Chile. Argentina’s Ministry of Health is actively investigating the source of the infection.

Human-to-human transmission of hantavirus was first documented in the Patagonia region 30 years ago. Nearly a decade ago, the same area saw an outbreak triggered when a 68-year-old infected farm worker attended a birthday party, resulting in further transmission and 11 deaths.

Since July of last year, Argentina has recorded 101 hantavirus infections, with 32 fatalities. The figures represent an increase compared to previous high-risk seasons, which saw 64 cases and 14 deaths in 2024–25, and 82 cases with 13 deaths in 2023–24.

Raúl González Ittig, a biologist at the National University of Córdoba, attributed the rise in cases to changes in rodent behavior. He warned: “Global climate change is expanding the migration ranges of rodents, which could lead to the emergence of hantavirus in areas where it has not previously been reported.”

While hantavirus causes up to 100,000 infections annually worldwide, the majority occur in Asia and Europe. A key distinction lies in severity: fatality rates in those regions reach a maximum of around 15%, whereas strains in the Americas can result in mortality rates as high as 50%.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stressed that the risk to the general population remains “extremely low,” noting that human-to-human transmission is not easily sustained.