MV Hondius
Dutch-flagged Antarctic expedition cruise ship; site of the May 2026 Andes hantavirus cluster, 8 cases, 3 deaths.
Last refreshed: 7 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Will MV Hondius become the reference case for hantavirus biosecurity aboard Antarctic cruise ships?
Timeline for MV Hondius
Carried 8 hantavirus cases across 23 nationalities during Antarctic expedition
Pandemics and Biosecurity: Andes hantavirus confirmed in Swiss returneeMentioned in: WHO publishes three Q1 pathogen-family roadmaps
Pandemics and BiosecurityMentioned in: PAHO flagged Southern Cone hantavirus in December
Pandemics and Biosecurity- What is the MV Hondius and who operates it?
- MV Hondius is a Dutch-flagged Antarctic expedition cruise ship built in 2019 and operated by Oceanwide Expeditions. It specialises in polar expeditions departing from Ushuaia, Argentina.
- What happened on the MV Hondius in 2026?
- A hantavirus cluster emerged aboard MV Hondius after it departed Ushuaia in early 2026. By 7 May 2026 the cluster stood at 8 cases and 3 deaths across 23 nationalities; Andes virus was confirmed in a Swiss passenger who disembarked.Source: CIDRAP / WHO
- Where was the MV Hondius when the outbreak was reported?
- The MV Hondius was moored off Cabo Verde when WHO published Disease Outbreak News 599 on 2 May 2026. One critically ill passenger was evacuated to South Africa during the voyage.Source: WHO DON 599
Background
MV Hondius is a Dutch-flagged expedition cruise ship operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, named after the Dutch cartographer Jodocus Hondius. Built in 2019, she has a passenger capacity of approximately 170 and specialises in Antarctic and Arctic expedition cruises departing primarily from Ushuaia, Argentina, for the Southern Ocean, and from Longyearbyen, Norway, for the Arctic. The vessel is rated for Polar Code operation and carries a scientific expedition programme alongside tourism. Berth prices typically range from €6,000 to €15,000 per passenger. MV Hondius is registered in the Netherlands; Oceanwide Expeditions is headquartered in Middelburg, Netherlands.
MV Hondius was the site of an Andes hantavirus cluster that surfaced in early 2026 after departing Ushuaia, Argentine Tierra del Fuego. By 7 May 2026 the cluster stood at 8 cases, 3 deaths, 1 critically ill across passengers and crew from 23 nationalities. A Swiss passenger who disembarked later tested positive for Andes virus, the only hantavirus capable of person-to-person transmission, triggering active European contact tracing. The departure date recorded by WHO DON 599 (1 April) and Africa CDC (20 March) conflict; the discrepancy determines whether HCPS incubation points to pre-boarding exposure in Ushuaia or at-sea transmission. The vessel was moored off Cabo Verde when WHO published DON 599 on 2 May.