WHO says hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship Hondius near end

World Health Organization Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the hantavirus outbreak linked to the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius is nearing its end. The outbreak involved the South American Andes variant of hantavirus, which can occasionally transmit between people. A total of 13 cases, including three fatalities, were recorded among roughly 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries.

All identified contacts of the two cases in South Africa have completed their monitoring period without new infections. Quarantine and follow‑up periods have also ended for contacts in Spain and the Netherlands, while 30 contacts remain under observation. The ship docked in Tenerife in May, after which passengers were returned to their home nations under special safety measures. WHO had previously assessed the broader public‑health risk as low and warned that no pandemic danger was expected.

The WHO thanked the responding countries for their cooperation and confirmed that the situation remains stable as the outbreak winds down.