WHO issues alert over hantavirus cases on Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius

The World Health Organization has raised a vigilance alert after a 12th hantavirus infection was confirmed on the Dutch tourist vessel MV Hondius, bringing the total number of infected passengers and crew to 12 and reporting three deaths since the outbreak was first noted on 13 May.

The ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina on 1 April and later called at Cape Verde and Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The most recent case involves a Dutch crew member who is now in isolation. Health authorities are monitoring more than 600 close contacts across roughly 30 countries.

WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged all nations to continue screening and quarantine measures for anyone who was aboard the vessel. He emphasized that hantavirus is chiefly spread from rodents, with only rare human‑to‑human transmission, and there is currently no indication of a wider outbreak.