WHO says hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship Hondius near end

The World Health Organization’s Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on X that quarantine and monitoring periods have ended in Spain and the Netherlands, including for members of the MV Hondius crew. He added that the two identified contacts in South Africa have also completed quarantine, and no further cases have been reported.

The outbreak, which began aboard the luxury cruise ship Hondius carrying about 150 passengers and crew, has resulted in a total of 13 confirmed hantavirus cases, three of which were fatal. The situation is described as stable and the epidemic is “slowly approaching its end.” As of June 25, one additional contact person linked to the remaining 30 cases was still under observation.

Health officials noted that the disease is caused by the Andes hantavirus, the only hantavirus known to spread from person to person, and that no vaccine or specific treatment exists. The outbreak is believed to have originated with a Dutch couple who may have been infected on the Argentinian coast before boarding the ship.