MV Hondius crew sailing to Netherlands remains asymptomatic, expected to arrive Monday: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief said Friday that there are currently no symptomatic individuals on board the MV Hondius cruise ship linked to the Andes hantavirus outbreak, with the vessel expected to dock in the Netherlands on Monday.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), told reporters during a WHO briefing in Geneva that the operation to transfer passengers from Tenerife had been completed "successfully," with more than 120 people either receiving care in their home countries or quarantined while returning home.

Tedros said Captain Jan Dobrogowski and the ship's 26-member crew remain on board and are being monitored.

“He has informed me that there are still no symptomatic persons on board,” Tedros said.

The figures linked to the Andes virus outbreak currently stand at 10 cases and three deaths, according to the WHO. Eight cases were laboratory-confirmed, while two were classified as probable.

The WHO also said the case count had been revised down from 11 after a US patient previously considered inconclusive later tested negative.

Because the virus can incubate for up to six weeks, WHO warned that additional cases could still emerge as passengers undergo quarantine and testing in their home countries.

WHO studying transmission, infectious period

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said all passengers and crew are considered "high risk" because authorities do not yet fully understand the extent of contact among those onboard before the outbreak was identified.

She said WHO recommends a 42-day quarantine period from the last known exposure, either in specialized facilities or at home under strict health supervision.

Van Kerkhove also confirmed that the third death was an older woman who died on board on May 2 and gave samples before dying, later testing positive in the Netherlands. Her remains remain onboard, and WHO is working with the ship to ensure proper handling and repatriation to her family, she added.

She also said WHO is working with experts in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay to better understand how the outbreak began and spread, describing the ongoing investigation as “pure field epidemiology” involving laboratory sequencing and exposure tracing.

According to her, the agency is also launching a natural history study with around 20 countries that repatriated passengers and crew to better understand how long infected individuals may remain infectious and how long the virus can remain detectable in the body.

She noted that while there is limited evidence in existing scientific literature, WHO is aware of studies suggesting the virus may remain detectable long after infection in rare cases, including reports involving positive samples years later.

Meanwhile, Abdirahman Mahamud, WHO’s director for health emergency alert and response operations, said current assessments do not indicate the need to convene an emergency committee under international health regulations.

Hantavirus is a rare disease usually transmitted through infected rodents or their droppings, though the strain responsible for this outbreak, the Andes virus, can also spread between humans with prolonged close contact, often in enclosed settings.