The operator of the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship said that indications “strongly suggest” the virus was introduced prior to embarkation and “didn’t originate from the vessel itself.”
The MV Hondius, operated by Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, made headlines when three individuals died after contracting hantavirus during their voyage earlier this month.
Hantavirus is especially spread by contact with rodents or their urine, saliva or droppings, particularly when the fabric is disturbed and becomes airborne, posing a risk of inhalation, based on the Canadian government. However the hantavirus that has caused the present outbreak, called the Andes virus, may have the opportunity to spread between people in rare cases.
In a press release on Tuesday, Oceanwide Expeditions CEO Remi Bouysset said that the indications are based on “the medical and epidemiological information currently available, including guidance from WHO experts and relevant health authorities.”
“Investigations remain ongoing regarding the precise location where the virus can have been contracted. At this stage, there is no such thing as a indication that the source of infection was linked to the vessel’s condition or to Oceanwide Expeditions’ onboard operations,” Bouysset said.
The MV Hondius maintains “strict pest-control and biosecurity procedures onboard our vessels, including regular inspections and monitoring,” based on the CEO.
He said that pest control and biosecurity procedures were performed throughout the voyage, which began on April 1, and showed no evidence of rodents or pests being present throughout.
“What initially seemed to be an isolated medical situation evolved right into a way more serious and sophisticated event, requiring the rapid constructing of a world coalition and the total activation of crisis management procedures,” Bouysset added.
The response of the cruise ship operator evolved around three operational phases, including “emergency medical stabilization and evacuation operations in Cape Verde,” “controlled disembarkation, screening, quarantine, and transition operations within the Canary Islands” and “vessel transit to Rotterdam, vessel sanitization, crew transition, operational restart, resilience, and lessons learned.”
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The ship arrived safely in Rotterdam on Monday and the remaining crew are being disembarked under the applicable guidance and procedures. The repatriation of the deceased individual who remained on board will happen with “the best care and respect,” Bouysset said.
“The vessel will now undergo a whole cleansing and sanitization process, along with the total implementation of additional protocols, procedures, and a whole crew transition before returning to operations. We would like to take the essential time to finish every step properly and responsibly,” he said.
Bouysset added that Oceanwide Expeditions will be sure that MV Hondius returns to the sector “fully prepared and with the best possible standards of safety and operational readiness, with the continuation of our Arctic season currently planned for 13 June.”
Oceanwide Expeditions said that it has been impacted over the recent weeks “like every company facing an exceptional situation.”
“Nonetheless, we remain resilient, focused, and financially solid. Since our foundation in 1993, we’ve navigated difficult periods before, at all times by staying near our values: serious operations, small-ship expeditions, experienced people, and long-term pondering,” the corporate added.
Bouysset said that the corporate will proceed to review the hantavirus situation fastidiously with relevant experts and authorities and “take the teachings from it seriously.”
“We operate in among the most distant regions on earth. That comes with responsibility toward our guests, crew, partners, and the environments we explore. Situations like these remind us of the importance of preparation, teamwork, experience, and calm decision-making under pressure,” he added.
Oceanwide Expedition’s focus now’s on “supporting those affected, allowing teams to get better, completing the remaining procedures responsibly, and preparing for the subsequent phase.”
Argentines trying to find source of hantavirus outbreak
Argentine investigators trying to find the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak were trapping rodents within the forests surrounding the southernmost city of Ushuaia on Tuesday, with the aim of detecting the possible presence of the rat-borne virus in an area previously thought unaffected.
The scientists, wearing vivid blue gloves and surgical masks, checked the 150 box traps that they had set out the previous night, dropping dead rats into black plastic bags that they hoisted into pickup trucks certain for a makeshift lab where they said they’d draw blood samples.
Tuesday’s rat-trapping marks the beginning of fieldwork inside Argentina’s wider investigation into the origin of the contagion that struck the MV Hondius, killing three people, sickening several others and setting off a worldwide scramble to trace passengers and their close contacts.
Argentine scientists collect traps placed at different points across Ushuaia, Argentina, on May 19, 2026, as a part of an investigation into the source of the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship.
AP Photo/Lujan Agusti
The state-backed Malbrán Institute, Argentina’s leading research center for infectious diseases, said the team would repeat the routine for the subsequent three days before returning with the samples to the institute’s fundamental Buenos Aires laboratory to check for hantavirus. Testing could take up to at least one month.
“They were capable of capture what was expected,” said Martín Alfaro, the spokesperson for the local health ministry of Tierra del Fuego.
The hassle comes almost two weeks after the Argentine Health Ministry first announced it could send the team from the Malbrán Institute to Ushuaia.
“It is crucial to notice that even though it isn’t confirmed that the transmission occurred in Argentina and that Tierra del Fuego has not reported any cases of hantavirus since mandatory reporting of the event began in 1996, these actions are a part of the intensified epidemiological surveillance strategy being carried out in coordination with the jurisdictions, that are chargeable for strengthening the reporting and detection of cases of their territories,” the Argentine Health Ministry said on the time.
—With files from The Associated Press