The number of laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius has risen to five, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, as three passengers were evacuated from the vessel for urgent medical care.
The two new confirmed cases were among the three people taken off the ship earlier in the day, WHO officials in Cape Verde told ABC News. The two patients, both in serious condition, were flown to the Netherlands for hospital treatment. The third person evacuated had no symptoms but was a close contact of a German passenger who died on May 2.
WHO had previously reported three confirmed cases and five suspected ones. Ann Lindstrand, the WHO representative in Cape Verde, said in an interview that eight cases are now linked to the vessel, with five confirmed by laboratory testing for the Andes strain of the virus.
Three passengers have died since the outbreak began. The deaths include a Dutch couple and a German national, according to Oceanwide Expeditions, the company that operates the ship. A British passenger remains in critical but stable condition in a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The MV Hondius departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, 2026, carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries. The expedition cruise followed a route across the South Atlantic, with stops in Antarctica, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island.
The first death occurred on April 11, when an adult male passenger died on board after developing respiratory distress. A female passenger who was a close contact of his died on April 26 after being flown to Johannesburg. A third passenger died on May 2.
The ship arrived off the coast of Cape Verde on May 4, but local authorities denied permission to dock, citing the need to protect the population. The vessel remained anchored near the capital Praia for several days while international health agencies scrambled to arrange medical evacuations.
Spain later agreed to allow the ship to sail to the Canary Islands. The Spanish health minister said the vessel would dock in Tenerife within three days, where all passengers would be screened and foreign nationals flown home. The ship departed Cape Verde on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
The Canary Islands regional president, Fernando Clavijo, opposed the decision, saying there was not enough information to guarantee public safety. Spain's central government said it had a legal and humanitarian duty to assist.
Laboratory testing in South Africa and Switzerland confirmed the outbreak involves the Andes hantavirus, a strain found in South America that can in rare cases spread between people through close contact. Health investigators believe a Dutch couple may have been exposed to the virus during a bird-watching trip in Argentina before boarding the ship, two Argentine officials told the AP.
Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO epidemiologist, said the risk to the general public is low. "This is not the next Covid, but it is a serious infectious disease," she said. "Most people will never be exposed to this."
Hantavirus is normally spread to humans through contact with the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal problems, which can progress rapidly to severe respiratory illness. The incubation period ranges from one to six weeks.
South African health authorities have identified 62 people who may have had contact with two passengers who left the ship in that country. Officials have traced 42 of them so far, and none has tested positive.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said on May 6 that seven cases had been reported in the cluster, including three deaths and one person in critical condition. The agency assessed the risk to the European public as very low.
Oceanwide Expeditions said two infectious disease physicians from the Netherlands were flown in to strengthen medical care on board. The company said the atmosphere on the ship was calm and that passengers were being kept informed.
The UK Health Security Agency said no British nationals currently on the ship or who have returned to Britain have reported symptoms. The agency is coordinating with Dutch and Cape Verdean authorities.