Cruise Operator Claims Hantavirus Outbreak Did Not Originate From Ship Despite Three Deaths

The operator of a cruise ship at the centre of a fatal hantavirus outbreak is insisting the vessel was not the source of infection, even after three passengers died and several others fell ill during a transatlantic voyage. The company is now trying to calm fears about a rare and often deadly virus that has no specific treatment or vaccine, as investigators race to pinpoint where the outbreak began.

Oceanwide Expeditions said preliminary medical assessments indicate the virus was likely introduced before passengers boarded the MV Hondius, as health authorities seek to contain concern over a disease with no specific treatment or vaccine.

Cruise Operator Denies Ship As Outbreak Ground Zero

Remi Bouysset, chief executive of the Dutch-based company, said current evidence does not point to the ship itself as the origin of the outbreak. 'The indications strongly suggest that the virus was introduced prior to embarkation and did not originate from the vessel itself,' he said in a statement.

Bouysset added that the assessment was based on available medical data and guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health authorities. 'At this stage, there is no indication that the source of infection was linked to the vessel's condition or to Oceanwide Expeditions' onboard operations,' he said.

The MV Hondius docked in Rotterdam on Monday, where a reduced crew remains under quarantine. According to the operator, all individuals still on board are asymptomatic and are being monitored by two medical staff.

Hantavirus Outbreak Cases Confirmed Among Cruise Passengers

The outbreak has so far been confirmed in seven patients, with one additional probable case, according to an AFP tally citing official sources. Three of those infected have died.

The WHO has sought to limit alarm, emphasising that hantavirus infections are rare and not comparable to the spread of Covid-19. The agency has also noted that human-to-human transmission is uncommon, although the Andes strain identified in this outbreak is the only variant known to spread between people.

Authorities have not reported further spread among passengers or crew beyond the confirmed cases, and those still aboard the vessel remain under close observation.

Ship Journey Complicates Hantavirus Exposure Investigations

Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with the urine, faeces or saliva of infected rodents. The Andes strain is endemic in parts of Argentina, where the cruise began.

The Hondius departed from Ushuaia on 1 April, travelling through remote islands in the South Atlantic before continuing north to Cape Verde and later the Canary Islands. The extended itinerary has complicated efforts to determine where exposure may have occurred.

Health officials have not publicly identified where the first case in the cluster was detected, and investigations into the chain of transmission remain ongoing.

Argentina Officials Address Hantavirus Ground Zero Questions

Authorities in Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, where Ushuaia is located, have downplayed suggestions that the initial infection originated there. Officials said the province has not recorded a hantavirus case since reporting became mandatory three decades ago.

However, the Andes strain is known to circulate in other regions of Argentina, more than 1,000 kilometres to the north, leaving open the possibility that exposure occurred before passengers reached the departure point.

The presence of a strain capable of limited person-to-person spread has added complexity to tracing efforts, though experts stress such transmission remains rare. Oceanwide Expeditions said it is cooperating fully with health authorities and continues to monitor those affected, with no operational changes announced so far.