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·5 min de lectura#mv-hondius#update#andes-virus

MV Hondius outbreak: 5 things to know on May 7

Death toll, Andes-strain confirmation, Tenerife crossing and May 11 evacuation, Zurich admission, WHO assessment and Argentine rodent surveillance — the May 7 sourced summary.

ⓘ Artículo disponible solo en inglés — traducción próximamente.

One month into the MV Hondius outbreak, the picture is sharper. Spanish authorities have cleared the ship to head for Tenerife, lab work has confirmed the suspected pathogen, and contact tracing has reached three continents. Here are the five things you need to know about the situation as of May 7.

▶ MV Hondius — cifras actuales

en vivo
Muertes confirmadas
03
Casos confirmados en laboratorio
03
Casos sospechosos
05
Personas a bordo
147
Nacionalidades
23

Al 7 de mayo de 2026 (OMS) · Cifras de los informes de situación de la OMS y comunicaciones de Oceanwide Expeditions.

1. Death toll: 8 cases, 3 deaths aboard the MV Hondius

The outbreak count stands at 8 cases — 3 lab-confirmed and 5 suspected — with 3 confirmed deaths. The first fatality was a Dutch national who died in early April. His wife disembarked at Saint Helena and died in a South African hospital on April 26. A German national died on board on May 2.

2. Confirmed: it is the Andes strain, capable of human-to-human transmission

On May 6, the authorities confirmed that the strain involved is the Andes virus — a rare variant capable of human-to-human transmission under specific conditions, namely close and prolonged contact. The WHO has classified hantaviruses as priority emerging pathogens with the potential to trigger international health emergencies. Case fatality can reach 40 % in severe HPS presentations.

3. Ship en route to Tenerife — passenger evacuation from May 11

The MV Hondius left Cape Verde on Wednesday for Tenerife, in the Spanish Canary Islands. The Spanish health ministry estimates the crossing at about three and a half days. Passenger evacuation will begin from May 11 from the Canary Islands, according to the Spanish interior ministry.

4. Three medical evacuations, plus a new Swiss case treated in Zurich

Three people were medically evacuated from the ship on Wednesday: two with acute symptoms and a third who had been in contact with a confirmed case. A separate passenger who had already disembarked was admitted to the Zurich University Hospital after developing symptoms, bringing the total to 8 cases.

5. WHO: public risk "low"; Argentina dispatches experts to Ushuaia

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the risk to the general public remains low, noting that human-to-human transmission requires close, prolonged contact. Argentina has announced it is sending experts to Ushuaia — the ship's departure port — to capture and analyse rodents for possible presence of the virus, as part of an enhanced epidemiological surveillance strategy.

The full timeline

▣ Cronología

  1. Departure from Ushuaia

    MV Hondius leaves Ushuaia, Argentina, with 88 passengers and 59 crew bound for Cape Verde via Antarctica and the South Atlantic.

  2. First fatality in Johannesburg

    A Dutch passenger who had disembarked at Saint Helena dies in Johannesburg. Initially attributed to acute respiratory syndrome of unknown origin.

  3. British passenger evacuated to Johannesburg

    A second seriously ill passenger, a British national, is evacuated to Johannesburg. Reportedly remains in intensive care.

  4. WHO notified of outbreak

    Oceanwide Expeditions notifies authorities of an acute respiratory syndrome cluster aboard the ship. WHO opens an investigation.

  5. WHO confirms three deaths

    WHO situation report cites three deaths and several seriously ill passengers. Hantavirus suspected; Andes strain considered.

  6. Ship anchors off Cape Verde — Pasteur Dakar samples taken

    MV Hondius anchors off Cape Verde awaiting docking authorisation. Specialists from the Institut Pasteur de Dakar collect samples from symptomatic passengers for virological analysis and sequencing in the Senegalese capital.

  7. Andes virus confirmed in Swiss passenger

    A Swiss passenger who had left the ship earlier tests positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus, confirming the suspected pathogen. Three other seriously ill passengers are evacuated for medical care.

  8. Parallel case confirmed in Bariloche (Argentina)

    A 45-year-old man is hospitalised in Bariloche (Patagonia, the natural range of the Andes virus reservoir) with confirmed hantavirus, in Intermediate Care. Two close contacts (partner and son) are isolated. Samples are sent to Instituto Malbrán to identify the strain — northern Argentine variants do not transmit between people, unlike the Andes virus circulating in this region. Not directly linked to the MV Hondius cluster, but provides parallel epidemiological context.

  9. Andes strain officially confirmed · WHO statement on low public risk

    Authorities officially confirm the strain involved is the Andes virus, the only hantavirus capable of human-to-human transmission under close prolonged contact. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus states the risk to the general public remains low. Hantaviruses remain on WHO's priority emerging-pathogen list; HPS case fatality can reach 40% in severe presentations.

  10. Ship departs Cape Verde for Tenerife · evacuation set for May 11

    Spain authorises the MV Hondius to dock in the Canary Islands. The ship leaves Cape Verde for Tenerife. The Spanish health ministry estimates the crossing at about three and a half days. Passenger evacuation will begin from May 11 according to the Spanish interior ministry.

  11. France identifies a contact case · activates national response

    A French national who shared a flight to Johannesburg with one of the evacuated patients is identified as a contact case. France activates the Direction générale de la santé, Santé publique France, COREB and the Centre national de référence des hantavirus. The foreign affairs ministry and CORRUSS coordinate to prepare the repatriation of French nationals still aboard.

  12. New Swiss case admitted to Zurich University Hospital

    A passenger who had already disembarked is admitted to the Zurich University Hospital after developing symptoms, bringing the total cases to 8. Three other people are medically evacuated from the ship: two with acute symptoms and a third in close contact with a confirmed case.

  13. Argentina dispatches experts to Ushuaia for rodent surveillance

    Argentina announces it is sending experts to Ushuaia — the MV Hondius's departure port — to capture and analyse rodents for "possible presence of the virus", as part of an enhanced epidemiological surveillance strategy. A positive find at the embarkation environment would point to pre-departure exposure.

What to watch next

  1. The arrival in Tenerife, expected around May 10, and the on-the-ground reception protocol.
  2. The Pasteur Dakar sequencing on samples collected May 4: confirmation that the cluster is genetically Andes virus would tighten the case for partial onboard transmission.
  3. The Argentine rodent surveillance in Ushuaia: a positive find in the embarkation environment would point strongly to pre-departure exposure.
  4. The British and Swiss patients' outcomes, which will move the overall case-fatality rate and the public-perception arithmetic.

The situation continues to evolve. Every figure on this site links back to a public source. We update as soon as the WHO, the Spanish health authorities, the Pasteur Institute or major international media publish new information.

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