MV Hondius passenger quarantined after hantavirus exposure

A cluster of hantavirus cases was linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, which departed Argentina on 1 April and later reported three deaths worldwide. Health authorities said the virus spreads only person‑to‑person and carries a low public‑health risk.

A New Zealand national who disembarked from the ship on St Helena Island was taken to a hospital in Taiwan on 7 May. He tested negative for hantavirus, shows no symptoms and will remain under precautionary quarantine until 6 June. Taiwanese CDC officials noted the last contact with other passengers was on 25 April, about 20 days earlier.

In Greece, a Greek passenger from the same cruise is being held in a 45‑day hospital quarantine at the “Atikon” facility despite a negative test. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis said, “He is negative … he is very healthy,” emphasizing the strict protocol to protect the tourism season.

An American woman from the cruise was placed in isolation on the remote British Overseas Territory of Pitcairn Island after arriving via several flights and ships. She is asymptomatic and will stay on the island for as long as deemed necessary by local authorities.

Authorities in the affected jurisdictions stress that the overall risk of a wider outbreak remains low and that no vaccine or specific treatment exists for the hantavirus.