The hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius is continuing to spread concern across multiple countries, with health authorities still trying to determine how many passengers may have been exposed during the voyage. The latest development now centres around a group of passengers who disembarked on the remote island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.
According to Dutch officials, around 40 passengers left the cruise ship during its stop at Saint Helena. The group reportedly includes the wife of a Dutch passenger who later died during the outbreak. Authorities also said a Dutch woman and a Swiss man who disembarked are currently receiving medical treatment in South Africa.
Around 40 passengers left the ship on Saint Helena
Dutch foreign minister Tom Berendsen shared the update in a letter sent to parliament late on Wednesday evening.
Officials said the passengers disembarked while the outbreak was still unfolding aboard the ship. Health agencies across different countries are now continuing tracing efforts to contact travellers who may have been exposed before wider health alerts were issued.
The outbreak linked to the MV Hondius has already resulted in multiple deaths and several confirmed or suspected infections. Investigators are particularly concerned because the virus involved is suspected to be the Andes hantavirus strain, a rare form associated with limited human-to-human transmission.
Passenger who later died was briefly on KLM flight
A separate development has also raised concern among health officials in Europe. Dutch airline KLM confirmed that one passenger who later died from hantavirus had briefly boarded flight KL592 from Johannesburg to Amsterdam on April 25.
According to the airline, the passenger was removed before take-off because of their medical condition. “Due to the passenger's medical condition at the time, the crew decided not to allow the passenger to travel on the flight,” KLM said in a statement.
The airline added that after the passenger was removed from the aircraft, the flight departed normally for the Netherlands. Dutch health authorities are now contacting passengers who were on that flight “as a precaution,” according to the airline.
Argentina investigates whether outbreak began there
Attention has also shifted towards Argentina, where the Antarctica cruise originally departed.
Health officials and experts there are reportedly trying to determine whether the country may be linked to the origin of the outbreak. According to the World Health Organization, Argentina consistently records some of the highest hantavirus infection rates in Latin America.
Investigators are currently carrying out contact tracing efforts to identify where the contamination may have started. Argentina’s health ministry reported 101 hantavirus infections since June 2025, nearly double the number recorded during the previous year.
The Andes hantavirus strain found in parts of South America can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe lung disease that can turn fatal quickly. Argentina’s health ministry said the illness led to death in nearly one-third of cases recorded over the last year.
What exactly is hantavirus?
Named after the Hantan River in South Korea, hantavirus refers to a group of viruses mainly carried by rodents. The animals carrying the virus usually do not become ill themselves.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people are most commonly infected through contact with rodent urine, saliva or droppings. Infection can also happen by breathing in tiny viral particles stirred into the air from contaminated areas or surfaces.
Most hantavirus strains are not known to spread easily between people. However, experts say the Andes strain found in Argentina and Chile is different because limited human transmission has been documented before. Investigators suspect that the infections linked to the MV Hondius outbreak may involve this particular Andes strain, which is one reason the situation is being monitored so carefully.
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