MV Hondius Hantavirus Outbreak — May 2026

ECDC May 18 update: 12 total cases — 9 confirmed, 2 probable, 1 inconclusive. No new deaths. Canada is now the 10th country with a confirmed case. All 18 Americans in Nebraska quarantine — zero confirmed US cases. France patient still in ICU — only active critical case. Australia: 6 people (4 Australian, 1 Australian PR, 1 New Zealand) quarantined at Bullsbrook Quarantine Centre, WA for 3 weeks. MV Hondius undergoing disinfection in Rotterdam. May 29 Arctic cruise status still pending decision.

MV Hondius arrives Rotterdam with 27 crew members and body of one passenger. Ship begins thorough cleaning and disinfection process with Dutch health authorities. All passengers have now been repatriated to their home countries.

Canada reports passenger presumptively positive — mild symptoms, already in quarantine in Victoria, BC. ECDC classifies as confirmed — 12th case. Dr. Kornfeld (USA) fully cleared — false positive confirmed. USA zero active Andes cases. Ontario County NY: unlinked North American strain case, no ship connection.

No new cases or deaths. US biocontainment case retests NEGATIVE. 41 people monitoring across US. France: 26 contacts all negative, placed in hospital isolation for 42-day incubation period. French patient remains in ICU. ECDC: 11 total (8 confirmed, 2 probable, 1 inconclusive). Passengers also monitoring in Australia, Canada, Turkey. WHO DON601 published.

ECDC confirms 11 total (9 confirmed, 2 probable), 3 deaths — unchanged. Dr. Steve Kornfeld — physician passenger who stepped in when ship's doctor fell ill — tests positive, in biocontainment at UNMC, no symptoms. CDC redoing US test after conflicting results abroad. France patient "very critical." Germany evacuee tests NEGATIVE. Minnesota monitoring 1 person. 38 Filipino crew monitored. 100+ CDC staff full time.

WHO confirms 11 total cases, 9 confirmed, 3 deaths. Spain confirmed — passenger at Gómez Ulla hospital Madrid, stable. France patient presenting "severe form." 2 Americans at Emory Atlanta, 16 at Nebraska (1 biocontainment, 15 quarantine). King County WA: 2 monitored. Illinois: unconnected potential case, North American strain. WHO DG: "No sign of a larger outbreak." SA: 42 of 62 contacts negative, 20 still being traced.

French PM Lecornu announces French national showed hantavirus symptoms on repatriation flight. All 5 French passengers in strict isolation. National isolation decree issued. 18 Americans (17 US + 1 British US resident) departed Tenerife heading to National Quarantine Unit, Omaha, Nebraska.

MV Hondius docks Port of Granadilla, Tenerife at 5:30am. WHO DG Tedros on the ground coordinating. Full disembarkation underway. Spanish minister describes procedures as "unprecedented." All 30 St Helena disembarkees confirmed contact-traced by UK UKHSA. Ship disinfection begins. 17 Americans begin disembarking — none positive as of departure.

WHO confirms 8 suspected, 6 confirmed cases. CDC activates Level 3 response. None of 17 Americans have tested positive. UK confirms 2 nationals with hantavirus plus 1 suspected on Tristan da Cunha. KLM flight attendant tests NEGATIVE. Spain overrules Canary Islands — docking confirmed.

8th case confirmed Zurich. WHO DG Tedros briefs media. Argentina publishes Dutch couple's full route — visited Neuquén and Misiones, both endemic areas. Singapore isolates two residents from St Helena Airlink flight.

Andes strain confirmed. 3 patients air-evacuated to Schiphol and Germany. WHO expert deployed on board. 2,500 diagnostic kits shipped to 5 countries. Ship departs Cape Verde 7:15pm.

WHO reports 7 cases, 3 deaths. Ship anchored off Cape Verde. Human-to-human transmission flagged. Molecular tests confirm Dutch woman had hantavirus.

German woman dies on board — third confirmed death. UK IHR focal point notifies WHO of cluster.

Ship departs Ascension Island. British passenger removed and flown to Johannesburg — critical but stable.

Dutch man's body removed at Saint Helena. His 69-year-old wife disembarks, flies Airlink to Johannesburg (82 passengers now contact-traced). Collapses trying to board KLM KL592 home. Dies April 26 in Johannesburg — second death. ~30 other passengers also disembark St Helena.

First death: 70-year-old Dutch man (index case) dies on board with fever, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhoea.

MV Hondius departs Ushuaia with 147 people (87 passengers, 60 crew) of 24 nationalities including 17 Americans.

Dutch index couple arrives in Argentina for 4-month birdwatching trip through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Visit Neuquén and Misiones — both WHO-identified Andes virus endemic areas. Return to Argentina March 27, board ship April 1.