Cruise ship virus panic: Timeline of the hantavirus.
Image: Argentine Health Ministry / AFP
April 1, 2026: Cruise departs Argentina
The Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius leaves Ushuaia, Argentina, carrying about 149 passengers and crew on a South Atlantic voyage.
April 6: First passenger falls ill
A 70-year-old Dutch passenger develops symptoms including fever, headaches and abdominal pain while onboard. His illness was not immediately linked to hantavirus.
April 11: First death onboard
The Dutch passenger dies at sea. Officials initially believed the death was from natural causes.
April 24: Ship reaches Saint Helena
The body of the Dutch passenger is removed from the ship at Saint Helena. His 69-year-old wife disembarks and begins travelling toward South Africa. Several other passengers also leave the vessel before the outbreak is identified.
April 25–26: First South Africa-linked death
The Dutch woman becomes critically ill while in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is removed from a KLM flight before departure and dies in hospital shortly afterward. South African health officials begin precautionary tracing of contacts linked to the airport and medical teams.
April 24–27: Critically ill patient evacuated to South Africa
Another passenger, identified as an adult male, develops severe fever, breathing problems and pneumonia symptoms onboard. His condition worsens rapidly. He was medically evacuated from Ascension Island to South Africa on April 27 and admitted to intensive care.
May 2: South Africa confirms hantavirus diagnosis
Laboratory testing in South Africa confirms hantavirus infection in the ICU patient. This becomes one of the first laboratory-confirmed cases connected to the ship outbreak.
May 2: Third death reported
A German passenger linked to the ship dies, bringing the total deaths to three. Health authorities intensify international contact tracing.
May 3 - 4: WHO outbreak alert issued
The World Health Organization announces a hantavirus cluster linked to the MV Hondius. At this stage:
May 6: South Africa reports two linked cases
South African authorities confirm that at least two hantavirus cases linked to the ship had been treated or investigated in the country. The Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg and the critically-ill evacuated male patient in ICU. Health authorities continue tracing airline passengers, healthcare workers and close contacts.
May 8: WHO update
WHO confirms:
May 10: Docking and evacuation
The MV Hondius docked in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. Passengers and crew began disembarking in small groups under strict health protocols, with evacuation flights co-ordinated by the WHO and national governments to return people to their home countries for quarantine and monitoring. Authorities say the evacuation process is expected to continue through May 11, after which the ship will head to the Netherlands for full disinfection and the remaining crew to disembark.
May 11: Current South Africa situation
South Africa remains one of the key countries involved in treatment and monitoring because several infected passengers passed through Johannesburg. Current publicly reported figures linked to the outbreak include: