Hantavirus Infections Cruise Ship: 10 Alarming Facts Behind the MV Hondius Outbreak

The phrase hantavirus infections cruise ship has become a major search term after a suspected outbreak on the MV Hondius, a Dutch-operated expedition cruise ship that sailed from Argentina toward Antarctica and then across the Atlantic. Nearly 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries were on board as several people became seriously ill, with three passengers dying and at least two cases confirmed as hantavirus.

The case is especially worrying because hantavirus is usually linked to infected rodents, not cruise travel. Health authorities are investigating whether Andes virus, a South American species of hantavirus, may be involved, while the World Health Organization has said rare human-to-human transmission among very close contacts may have occurred on the cruise.