On 2 May 2026, WHO received notification of a cluster of severe respiratory illness aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. As of the latest WHO Disease Outbreak News from 8 May, there are 8 cases (6 confirmed) and 3 deaths — a case fatality ratio of 38%.
What is Andes virus?
Andes virus (ANDV) is a member of the hantavirus family. Unlike most hantaviruses, ANDV is the only strain with documented human-to-human transmission, though such cases remain rare. The virus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents — typically the long-tailed pygmy rice rat in South America.
Why this outbreak is different
Most hantavirus outbreaks are geographically limited because rodent reservoirs do not travel. The MV Hondius situation is unique: passengers and crew from multiple nationalities were potentially exposed at sea, then dispersed to their home countries. Medical evacuation flights have already returned symptomatic patients to the Netherlands.
The 8-week incubation period problem
Hantavirus has an incubation period of 1 to 8 weeks — typically 2 to 4 weeks. This means the outbreak may not yet be fully visible. Passengers who disembarked weeks before symptoms appeared could be developing the disease now, in countries far from the original location.
What WHO is doing
National IHR Focal Points have been informed via International Health Regulations channels. Contact tracing is underway across multiple jurisdictions. WHO has assessed the risk to the global population as low.
What you should know
If you were not aboard the MV Hondius and have not had contact with someone who was, your individual risk is essentially zero. The outbreak warrants public health attention because of its unusual nature, not because of immediate community transmission risk.
For ongoing tracking of this and other outbreaks, see our live outbreak map.