The 2026 hantavirus outbreak is the first large-scale cluster of Andes virus infection linked to international travel. It began aboard the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius and has since drawn coordinated responses from the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and health authorities across more than 20 countries. This guide covers everything you need to know about the hantavirus outbreak, from its origin to the current case data and the global evacuation effort.
How the Hantavirus Outbreak Started
The MV Hondius departed Ushuaia, Argentina — the world's southernmost city — on April 1, 2026, carrying 175 passengers and crew members representing 23 nationalities. The vessel, owned by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, was on an expedition cruise to Antarctica and several isolated South Atlantic islands, with berth prices ranging from €14,000 to €22,000.
On April 6, a 70-year-old Dutch male passenger began showing symptoms — the first recorded case in what would become a significant hantavirus outbreak. By April 11, he had become the first fatality on board, a death initially attributed to natural causes. It was not until early May, following gene sequencing of samples, that the Andes virus was formally identified as the cause.
Epidemiological investigation traced the likely source of infection to the index case's prior movements: he had completed a four-month road trip through Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina between November 2025 and April 2026, returning just four days before the ship's departure. The Andes virus is endemic in these regions and is typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents.
Current Case Data (as of May 12, 2026)
According to ECDC and Wikipedia, as of May 12, 2026, the hantavirus outbreak figures are as follows:
Three deaths have been reported. The case fatality rate among confirmed cases stands at 33.3%, though this figure may shift as additional cases are confirmed or ruled out. ECDC assesses the risk to the EU/EEA general population as very low.
WHO Risk Assessment: Why Is the Risk LOW?
Despite the severity of individual cases, the WHO has consistently assessed the overall public health risk as LOW for the general population. This assessment rests on several factors specific to the Andes hantavirus outbreak:
- Human-to-human transmission of the Andes virus, while documented, requires close and prolonged contact — the general public is not at elevated risk.
- The outbreak cluster is linked to a single vessel and a defined group of contacts; community spread has not been observed.
- Robust contact tracing has been implemented across 12+ countries to monitor all exposed individuals.
- No evidence of sustained transmission beyond the ship and its immediate contacts has emerged.
The CDC classified the outbreak as a Level 3 emergency response — the lowest tier on the CDC classification scale — reflecting active monitoring rather than an imminent public threat.
Countries Affected by the Hantavirus Outbreak
As of May 12, 2026, patients are hospitalized or being monitored across multiple countries. Countries with confirmed cases include South Africa, Switzerland, and Spain. Several other countries are monitoring passengers or close contacts:
The WHO is coordinating monitoring in twelve countries including Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey, and the United States. The US repatriated passengers to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Genome sequencing of five isolates from patients in Johannesburg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland shows high similarity, suggesting a single zoonotic spillover event.
The MV Hondius Evacuation
After the ship was refused entry to the Canary Islands by the regional president — who cited public health concerns — Spain's national government approved the plan on humanitarian and legal grounds. The MV Hondius, carrying 147 individuals and one deceased passenger, sailed from Cape Verde on May 6 and arrived at the Port of Granadilla, Tenerife on May 10, 2026.
The evacuation was conducted without direct contact with island residents: passengers were transported by speedboat directly to the airport, where aircraft from 22 countries were waiting to repatriate their nationals. The EU provided additional aircraft for passengers without a dedicated flight. Countries applied varying quarantine protocols for their returning citizens.
What Happens to the Hantavirus Outbreak Map Going Forward?
With the ship now docked and evacuation underway, the outbreak enters a monitoring phase. Epidemiologists from Italy and the Netherlands who boarded the vessel in Cape Verde are completing their investigation into the scope of Andes virus spread aboard the ship. Their findings will determine whether additional cases are reclassified and may further refine the hantavirus outbreak map in the coming days.
The 45-day monitoring period for exposed individuals — the maximum incubation window — means authorities will continue tracking contacts until mid-June 2026. For the latest data, refer to the live hantavirus outbreak map on this site, updated daily from WHO and official health agency sources.