New Hantavirus Cases: Where Has the Virus Spread to? Map Shows Countries Affected by the MV Hondius Outbreak

Health authorities around the world are racing to contain the growing hantavirus outbreak linked to the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius after new confirmed infections were identified among evacuated passengers in Europe and the United States.

The latest updates from the World Health Organisation confirm that at least seven passengers connected to the voyage have now tested positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus, whilst two additional cases remain under investigation. Three people have died since the outbreak began during the ship's South Atlantic expedition that departed from Argentina in April.

The outbreak has triggered one of the largest international infectious disease tracing operations seen on a cruise ship in recent years, with passengers from more than 20 countries now being monitored or quarantined.

New Confirmed Hantavirus Cases Raise Int'l Alarm

Among the newest confirmed infections is an American passenger evacuated from the ship and flown to Nebraska under strict biocontainment protocols. US officials said the passenger tested positive for the Andes virus shortly after arrival, while another American traveller began showing mild symptoms and remains under observation.

A French passenger also tested positive after being repatriated to Paris. Reports say the woman is in serious condition after initially experiencing flu-like symptoms that doctors reportedly believed were linked to anxiety before her condition worsened.

According to the WHO, the confirmed cases are linked to close-contact exposure aboard the vessel, raising fears that limited human-to-human transmission may have occurred. The Andes virus is considered the only hantavirus strain known to spread between people in rare situations involving prolonged close contact.

The ship had been carrying nearly 150 passengers and crew members from 23 countries during a remote expedition through Antarctica and the South Atlantic. Authorities are still investigating whether the original exposure happened before boarding in Argentina or during wildlife excursions throughout the voyage.

Massive Quarantine, Repatriation Operation Underway

The emergency response intensified after the vessel reached Spain's Canary Islands, where passengers were evacuated in stages and transferred onto specially coordinated medical flights. The United States transported 18 citizens to quarantine facilities, while European nations began tracing contacts linked to infected travellers.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has advised that everyone aboard the cruise ship should be treated as a high-risk contact and monitored for up to 42 days.

Passengers have described tense conditions onboard during the outbreak, with many confined to cabins as medical teams worked to isolate symptomatic travellers. Several crew members also reportedly developed symptoms while the ship remained stranded offshore for days awaiting clearance to dock.

Global Health Agencies Say Public Risk Remains Low

Despite the growing number of confirmed infections, health officials insist the risk to the wider public remains low because Andes virus transmission requires prolonged close exposure. The WHO continues to coordinate international surveillance efforts while laboratories analyse virus samples tied to the cluster.

Investigators are now focused on determining exactly how the virus spread aboard the cruise ship and whether additional passengers could test positive in the coming days as quarantine periods continue across multiple countries.

Hantavirus map highlighted countries:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Spain
• Netherlands
• Germany
• France
• Switzerland
• Canada
• Denmark
• Singapore
• New Zealand
• Australia
• South Africa
• Philippines
• Sweden
• Turkey
• Saint Kitts and Nevis