Ship Status and Movement
The MV Hondius is sailing from Cape Verde to Spain's Canary Islands, expected to arrive in three to four days. Spanish authorities have confirmed they will receive the ship at the Canary Islands, the closest location with necessary medical capabilities. Three critically ill patients were evacuated from Cape Verde using air ambulances on May 5, 2026. Almost 150 people remain on board, with strict health and safety procedures including isolation measures and hygiene protocols in place.
Outbreak Details
Seven hantavirus cases have been identified on the cruise ship: two confirmed and five suspected. Three people have died—a Dutch couple and a German national. One British national remains in intensive care in South Africa with improving condition. The outbreak has sickened passengers and crew who fell ill with a rapidly progressing respiratory illness during a voyage from Argentina across the Atlantic Ocean to remote islands off Africa's west coast.
Human-to-Human Transmission Concern
The WHO stated that possible human-to-human transmission may have occurred among very close contacts on board, such as married couples sharing cabins. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove emphasized this would be a very rare occurrence. However, health authorities stress the outbreak does not pose a wider public health risk, as hantavirus does not spread like flu or COVID. The virus is not highly transmissible, as evidenced by the limited number of cases despite close proximity among passengers.
Response in Canary Islands
Spanish authorities will conduct a full epidemiological investigation and complete disinfection of the ship upon arrival in the Canary Islands. Passengers will be examined, treated, and transferred to their respective countries. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control is working to determine which people require urgent evacuation before the ship sails. Medical specialists are expected to board to assist passengers.
Public Health Risk Assessment
The WHO confirmed the risk to the general public is low. Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with infected rodent urine, feces, or saliva. The ship's origin in Argentina is significant because the Andes Virus, the only hantavirus species implicated in human-to-human transmission, is found in Argentina and Chile. Some patients may have been exposed to rodents on islands visited during the expedition rather than contracting the virus from other passengers. 
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