Hantavirus update: Cases continue to rise as final MV Hondius passengers disembark

The hantavirus outbreak aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has entered its final evacuation phase, with the last passengers now disembarked and repatriated as health authorities confirm additional cases linked to the incident.

The final passengers – including four Australians, a Briton and a New Zealander – left the vessel after it docked in Tenerife, before boarding flights to their home countries, where they are now in quarantine. Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that 122 passengers and crew had now been repatriated in total, leaving 27 people on board as the ship continues to Rotterdam for disinfection.

A Spanish passenger has now been confirmed to have hantavirus after initially testing provisionally positive, Spain’s health ministry said. The individual is reported to be stable, despite earlier reports of worsening symptoms. The ministry also confirmed that 13 other suspected cases under investigation at Madrid’s Gomez Ulla military hospital have tested negative. A separate US case under observation in Spain has also tested negative.

Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement: “Details regarding vessel cleaning protocols are still being determined in consultation with RIVM, WHO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Rotterdam Port Health Authority, and other relevant bodies. In addition, all remaining crew on board will comply with the medical screening and quarantine conditions in place by the Dutch authorities.”

The company also said the vessel is now continuing its voyage to Rotterdam with 27 people on board, comprising 25 crew members and two medical professionals led by the Netherlands’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), who are overseeing ongoing medical monitoring during the voyage.

The body of a German passenger who died on 2 May remains onboard and is not included in the total. The operator said it will coordinate with relevant authorities to arrange repatriation upon arrival in the Netherlands.

New infections continue to emerge among evacuees. An American and a French national both tested positive after returning home, while Spain’s health ministry has now confirmed one evacuee in Madrid has tested positive.

In the UK, 20 British nationals repatriated from the ship are isolating at Arrowe Park Hospital, where they are undergoing ongoing clinical assessment and testing. Similar quarantine and monitoring measures have been implemented across Europe, North America and Australasia, including supervised isolation and contact tracing.

The outbreak has prompted a coordinated multinational response involving biocontainment flights, military-assisted evacuations, specialist quarantine facilities and cross-border public health coordination. The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to recommend a 42-day isolation period for passengers.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said further cases are expected due to the timing of exposure and the incubation period of the virus.

“We would expect more cases because the first case was on 6 April, and until the outbreak was confirmed in late April, there was significant interaction among passengers,” he commented. “As you know, the incubation period is six to eight weeks. Because of this interaction, even with preventative measures in place, we would expect more cases.”

Health authorities say the risk of wider transmission remains low, but the incident has highlighted the challenges of managing infectious disease outbreaks in remote expedition cruise environments, where medical evacuation can require cross-border coordination, and specialist logistics.