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By Aliss Higham and Dan Gooding
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A French person who had not set foot on the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius is being monitored as a contact case for the infection after taking a flight with a passenger, it was reported Wednesday.
"A French national has in particular been identified among the passengers on a flight taken by one of the cases before they were hospitalised," a spokeswoman for France's health ministry said, according to France 24 and The Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, a Dutch flight attendant is also being tested for hantavirus after she came into contact in Johannesburg with a woman who later died from the virus, according to the Dutch ministry of health.
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The flight attendant is currently in isolation in Amsterdam UMC hospital, and is experiencing mild symptoms.
Investigators were working with a leading theory on Wednesday that a couple on the cruise ship contracted hantavirus while birdwatching in Argentina, before the ship headed for Europe. As of late Wednesday afternoon Eastern Time, the ship was headed for the Canary Islands.
Evacuated Patients
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday that it had confirmed five cases, up from three, including two who had been evacuated from the ship.
Ann Lindstrand, the WHO representative in Cape Verde, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that a sample from the third patient evacuated from the ship was still being checked.
“So far of all the cases related to this boat, the eight cases, we now have five confirmed with laboratory testing for Andes virus,” she said. “So it’s quite a lot.”
Earlier, Spain's health minister Monica Garcia confirmed that a British doctor, 56, was removed from the vessel this morning. She said he is now in a more "stable condition" after previously being "critical," and confirmed he is being evacuated to the Netherlands rather than Spain, as had earlier been considered.
Oceanwide Expeditions, the cruise line operator, said in its latest statement that the evacuees were "now en route via medicalized aircraft to locations able to provide specialized care and appropriate medical screening."
"Two of the individuals remain in a serious condition. The third, while currently asymptomatic, was closely associated with the individual who passed away on board on 2 May 2026," the statement read. "The two symptomatic individuals have not tested positive for hantavirus at this time."
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Garcia also confirmed the ship is now on its way to the Canary Islands, where local officials have questioned the Spanish government's decision to let the ship dock in Tenerife.
"Three suspected #hantavirus case patients have just been evacuated from the ship and are on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands in coordination with @WHO, the ship’s operator and national authorities from Cabo Verde, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed on X, formerly Twitter, this morning.
"WHO continues to work with the ship’s operators to closely monitor the health of passengers and crew, working with countries to support appropriate medical follow-up and evacuation where needed. Monitoring and follow-up for passengers on board and for those who have already disembarked has been initiated in collaboration with the ship’s operators and national health authorities."
The nationalities of those disembarked are British, German and Dutch. Their identities have not been confirmed.
Virus Victims
Three people have died in connection with the outbreak. A Dutch woman died while being repatriated back to the Netherlands after her husband passed away on board the ship on April 11. She was confirmed to have contracted hantavirus, while the cause of her husband's illness and death has not been established.
On May 2, a German national on board the ship died. The cause has not yet been established.
Where Did the Hantavirus on the Cruise Ship Come From?
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Argentine officials investigating the outbreak said Wednesday that the leading hypothesis is that a Dutch couple who were on a bird-watching outing in the city of Ushuaia likely picked up the virus.
The officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the couple had visited a landfill during the tour, where rodents were likely present.
What Is Hantavirus and How Does It Spread?
Hantaviruses are primarily carried by rodents and are transmitted to humans through contact with infected urine, droppings or saliva, often when dried particles become airborne and are inhaled, the CDC explains.
The WHO confirmed two passengers were infected with the Andes strain, which is capable of human-to-human transmission, officials said Wednesday.
"WHO will continue to work with countries to ensure that the patients, contacts, passengers and crew have the information and support they need to stay safe and prevent spread," the United Nations health agency said on X this morning.
What Are the Symptoms of Hantavirus?
Hantavirus is known for causing severe, often life‑threatening illness, most commonly hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in the Americas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), early symptoms typically include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, particularly in large muscle groups such as the thighs, hips, and back.
About half patients also develop headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain, the CDC says. Several days later, the disease can rapidly progress, with patients experiencing shortness of breath and coughing as the lungs fill with fluid, a hallmark of HPS.
What Is the Mortality Rate of Hantavirus?
The CDC estimates that about 38 percent of patients who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease. Usually, this happens within 48 hours of hospital admission, the CDC said.
Canary Islands' Leader Opposes Docking
President of the Canary Islands Fernando Clavijo has opposed the Spanish government's decision to allow the Hondius to dock in the archipelago.
The Dutch-flagged ship had been due to dock on the island of Tenerife. However, as of May 5 it remained off the coast of the West African nation of Cape Verde, where authorities have refused it permission to dock over fears of spreading the virus to the local population.
Clavijo said he had requested an urgent meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to discuss the decision to allow the ship to dock in the Canaries.
"This decision is not based on any technical criteria, nor is there sufficient information to reassure the public or guarantee their safety," he told radio station COPE.
The Hondius' operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said in a media statement, "Oceanwide Expeditions remains in close and continual discussion with relevant authorities regarding our exact point of arrival, quarantine and screening procedures for all guests, and a precise timeline."
The MV Hondius: A Timeline
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On its current stricken voyage, as of May 4, there were 149 people on board.
Here's what we know about what has happened on board the Hondius:
- April 1: The MV Hondius departs Ushuaia, Argentina, setting course across the South Atlantic Ocean.
- April 11: A Dutch passenger dies on board the vessel, marking the first fatality.
- April 24: The widow of the deceased is flown from island of St. Helena to Johannesburg alongside her husband’s body.
- April 25: The woman’s condition worsens during transit and she is admitted to hospital upon arrival.
- April 26: She dies in hospital. Authorities later confirm she had contracted hantavirus.
- April 27: A second ill passenger, a British national, is evacuated to South Africa and remains in hospital in critical but stable condition with a confirmed case of hantavirus.
- May 2: A German passenger dies while still on the ship, though it is not yet confirmed whether they were infected with the virus.
- May 3: The vessel arrives off Cape Verde.
- May 5: Healthcare workers board the ship off the coast of Cape Verde. Ill passengers have now been evacuated, WHO's director general confirms.
- May 6: WHO reports a third confirmed case of hantavirus of a disembarked passenger, who reported to a hospital in Zurich.
Are you on board the Hondius? Do you know someone who is? Get in touch at a.higham@newsweek.com
This article contains reporting by the Associated Press.
Correction 5/6/26, 10:46 p.m. ET: This article and headline have been updated to note that the French person is being monitored as a contact case.
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