A deadly Andes hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has left three passengers dead, several others hospitalized or under investigation, and Americans under monitoring after leaving the ship.

The Dutch-flagged expedition cruise left Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for a remote South Atlantic voyage before passengers began falling ill. A 70-year-old Dutch passenger became sick on April 6 and died aboard the ship on April 11. His 69-year-old wife later left the vessel, became sicker during a flight to South Africa, collapsed at the airport, and died in a hospital on April 26.

A third passenger, a German woman, died aboard the ship after developing symptoms that included signs of pneumonia. A British passenger was evacuated and placed in intensive care in South Africa, while another passenger who had left the ship earlier tested positive in Switzerland.

More than 140 passengers and crew remained aboard the MV Hondius as the ship continued toward Spain’s Canary Islands, with passengers kept in their cabins while authorities prepared medical checks and evacuation arrangements.

The outbreak involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, a South American strain that can spread from person to person in certain close-contact cases, unlike the more common rodent-linked forms of hantavirus.

The CDC classified the outbreak as a Level 3 emergency response as U.S. passengers and possible contacts were tracked in multiple states. Six American passengers were among those who left the ship at St. Helena before the outbreak was fully identified.

Two Texas residents were among the passengers aboard the MV Hondius and returned to the United States before the outbreak was identified. Officials said they reported no symptoms, said they had no contact with anyone ill aboard the ship, and agreed to self-monitor with daily temperature checks.

In New Jersey, two residents were not passengers on the ship, but were potentially exposed during air travel abroad after contact with a person infected after leaving the MV Hondius. No New Jersey case has been confirmed.

Israel was also forced to respond after a report claimed that an Israeli had been diagnosed with hantavirus. The Health Ministry denied that there was a new recent case, saying there had only been a report of a patient who traveled to Europe and was diagnosed with the virus in December 2025.

Dr. Daniel Grupel of Hadassah Hospital said the virus connected to the cruise ship is “a different virus altogether and more severe than the disease found in Europe,” adding, “I think this is a really bad situation for the people on the cruise ship right now, but Hantavirus is probably not the next pandemic.”

The first passenger fell ill on April 6, but broader confirmation of hantavirus infections came only weeks later, after passengers had disembarked, flown onward, and crossed borders.

The suspected source remains under investigation, with attention focused on possible rodent exposure during travel in Argentina before passengers boarded the ship.