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Published : 08 May 2026, 05:26 PM
Two Indian crew members have been identified as being on board the MV Hondius, a Dutch expedition cruise ship currently grappling with a fatal hantavirus outbreak, NDTV reports.
The vessel has reported five confirmed cases and three deaths so far, according to the Indian outlet.
The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, set sail from Argentina on Apr 1 and is scheduled to dock in Spain’s Canary Islands on May 10.
The broadcaster said the fatalities include a 69-year-old Dutch woman, her husband, and a German passenger.
The husband reportedly died on board the luxury vessel before his remains were removed at Saint Helena in the South Atlantic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that the outbreak involves the Andes strain, which is uniquely linked to limited human-to-human transmission.
In response, investigators are now tracing the 150 passengers and crew members from 28 countries who were initially on board, including 31 Britons and 23 Americans.
"This is not COVID, this is not influenza, it spreads very, very differently," Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO infectious disease epidemiologist, said during a briefing.
She said authorities had asked everyone onboard to wear masks, while those caring for suspected patients were advised to use a higher level of personal protective equipment.
Health investigators are using RT-PCR testing, antibody analysis and genomic sequencing to confirm infections and determine whether transmission took place before or during the voyage.
NDTV said the outbreak has prompted a multinational health response involving contact tracing, laboratory investigations and passenger monitoring across several countries.
The WHO says the overall public health risk remains low.
