MV Hondius Sails for Canary Islands Amid Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak and Evacuations

The MV Hondius, the Oceanwide Expeditions ship currently at the center of a hantavirus outbreak that has claimed three lives, is sailing this morning while the fate of the remaining passengers remains in limbo.

According to the latest update from Oceanwide, three passengers are scheduled to be airlifted from the vessel this morning. Two of those passengers are currently showing acute symptoms of the disease, while the third was in close contact with a passenger who passed away on board on May 2.

Two infectious disease physicians are also scheduled to arrive from the Netherlands and board the ship today. These specialists will remain on board as the vessel begins its transit toward the Canary Islands.

However, it has not yet been determined if the passengers will be permitted to disembark once the ship reaches the Canary Islands. Oceanwide stated that future movements depend entirely on medical advice from the on-board physicians and international authorities, including the WHO, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and several embassies.

The problems started for Hondius around the end of April when the first reports of a serious medical situation began to circulate. The ship was in the middle of a 35-night “Atlantic Odyssey” voyage (a repositioning cruise from the Antarctic to the Arctic) when the cluster of hantavirus was identified. The first confirmed on-board death occurred on May 2, a 70-year-old Dutch man.

On May 4, the ship was forced to anchor off Praia, Cape Verde. On May 5, Oceanwide confirmed that the death toll had risen to three, including the wife of the first victim, who passed away after being evacuated to a hospital in Johannesburg.

According to the WHO, hantavirus is a rare but severe disease that is “primarily acquired through contact with the urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents.” Typically, human cases are reported in rural settings, like farms or fields, where rodents are present. 

The WHO is operating under the assumption that this is the “Andes” variant of the virus. Unlike most hantavirus strains that only jump from rodents to humans, the Andes strain—which is endemic to the regions in South America where this cruise originated—is known for its ability to spread between people in close proximity.

WHO says that the risk to the global population is “low” but it is continuing to monitor the situation. In the Americas last year, there were only about 229 reported cases, though the 25% fatality rate is a big reason for the current level of concern.