Health authorities in multiple countries are working to locate and monitor at least 29 passengers who disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship on April 24, after the first fatality from a hantavirus outbreak but before the outbreak was publicly confirmed. The passengers, representing 12 nationalities, left the vessel without contact tracing, and nearly two weeks passed before wider notification efforts began.
According to reports, the first passenger died on board from hantavirus, a disease that can cause severe respiratory illness. The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was in the Antarctic region at the time. Following the death, the 29 passengers departed on April 24, and the ship later continued its voyage. The outbreak was not immediately declared, and contact tracing for those who left was not initiated until later.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to monitor returning passengers. American passengers who left the ship are being tracked in at least three states, health officials said. The CDC confirmed it is coordinating with state and local health departments to assess individuals for symptoms and potential exposure.
Aboard the ship, passengers have been discussing the possible origin of the outbreak. One passenger told El País, “It’s being said here that it may have been the Dutch couple,” referring to a couple from the Netherlands who were on board. The epidemiology of the virus, the timeline of infections, and accounts from travelers have reinforced the theory of person-to-person transmission on the MV Hondius, according to El País. Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with rodent droppings, urine, or saliva, and person-to-person transmission is rare but has been documented with certain strains.
The global effort to trace the 29 passengers involves health agencies across multiple continents. The WHO is assisting with international notifications, while the CDC focuses on U.S. residents. No additional cases among those who disembarked have been confirmed publicly as of the latest reports. Authorities continue to urge anyone who was on the ship and is experiencing symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, or respiratory difficulty to seek medical attention.
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