Hantavirus and Cruise Travel: What the M/V Hondius Outbreak Means for Your Next Trip

What happened aboard the M/V Hondius?

In May 2026, the World Health Organization was notified of a cluster of severe respiratory illness among people who had sailed on the M/V Hondius, a Netherlands-flagged cruise ship, on a South America itinerary. By the time WHO declared the outbreak contained on 2 July 2026, 13 people had been confirmed infected with Andes hantavirus, and three had died. Every confirmed case was linked to that single voyage. Health authorities in the UK, Netherlands, South Africa and France coordinated the response, and 42 days of contact tracing passed without a single new case, which is why WHO now considers the outbreak closed.

What is hantavirus, and how is it different from the diseases we usually cover here?

Most of the travel infections I write about, dengue, chikungunya, malaria, spread through mosquito bites. Hantavirus is different. It's carried by rodents, chiefly mice and rats, and people usually catch it by breathing in dust contaminated with an infected rodent's droppings, urine or saliva, or occasionally through a bite. Andes virus, the strain behind the cruise ship cases, is endemic to parts of Chile and Argentina, with related activity reported in Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil.

One detail matters more than the rest: there is no vaccine against hantavirus, and no specific antiviral treatment. That changes how we think about it at the pharmacy counter. For yellow fever or typhoid, prevention is a jab. For hantavirus, prevention is entirely about what you touch and where you go.

Why did this happen on a cruise ship?

Andes virus is one of the few hantaviruses where limited spread between people has been documented, provided contact is close and prolonged. WHO's technical guidance on the outbreak concluded this was a point-source event, most likely starting with contact with an infected rodent or person early in the voyage, followed by a short chain of transmission among people sharing the confined environment of the ship. It isn't a sign that hantavirus has become more contagious generally, and WHO has been explicit that no sustained, ongoing transmission has been detected.

Who was affected, and does age matter?

WHO's data on the confirmed cases gives a useful clue about who was most affected. Of the 13 cases, nine were men and four were women, and the median age was 65. All three people who died were aged 69, 70 or 79. This doesn't mean younger travellers are risk-free, but it does fit the wider pattern with hantavirus: older adults and anyone with existing heart or lung problems tend to become more seriously unwell. If you're planning a South America cruise or expedition trip and fall into an older age group, it's still worth knowing the precautions above, and treating any flu-like illness in the weeks afterwards seriously.

Should this change your plans for a South America trip or cruise?

For most people booked on a South America trip, no. This outbreak is contained, and Andes virus has circulated in southern South America for decades without deterring the thousands of people who travel there safely every year.

A couple came in to see me recently ahead of a three-week trip through Chile and Argentina that included a short expedition cruise through the fjords. They'd seen the outbreak in the news and asked whether they should cancel. My answer was the same I'd give for most travel-related disease risk: don't cancel, but know what to avoid and what symptoms should send you to a doctor.

How do I reduce my risk of hantavirus exposure?

• Don't enter enclosed spaces, sheds, cabins, storage huts, that show signs of rodent droppings without airing them out first. Open doors and windows and leave for at least 30 minutes before going back in.
• Never sweep or vacuum droppings or nesting material. This throws virus-contaminated dust into the air. Dampen the area with disinfectant or diluted bleach first, then wipe it up.
• Store food in rodent-proof containers if you're camping, trekking, or staying in rural accommodation.
• Don't handle wild rodents, alive or dead.
• On a ship, in a hotel, or in self-catering accommodation, report signs of rodent activity to staff rather than clearing it up yourself.

What symptoms should I watch for, and when should I get help?

Early symptoms of hantavirus infection look a lot like flu: fever, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, sometimes nausea. They usually appear one to eight weeks after exposure. With Andes virus specifically, symptoms can progress within days to breathlessness and fluid on the lungs, known as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is the stage that becomes life-threatening.

Do I need any other travel health preparation for South America?

Hantavirus can't be prevented with a vaccine, but most South America itineraries carry other, preventable risks worth covering in the same pre-travel consultation. If your route includes Amazon regions of Peru, Brazil or Bolivia, yellow fever vaccination is often recommended or required for entry. Hepatitis A and typhoid protection is sensible for most itineraries outside major cities, and if you're heading somewhere with malaria risk, we can talk through malaria prevention options based on your specific route. Bring your full itinerary, port by port if you're cruising, and we'll tell you what's actually relevant rather than a blanket answer.

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