The cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by the Hantavirus outbreak, reached its final destination Rotterdam on Monday (May 18, 2026) after spending more than a month at sea, where now only its crew members are present on the ship.

However, earlier this month, the MV Hondius, a cruise ship carrying around 150 passengers and crew members from 23 countries, had to be quarantined following an outbreak of Hantavirus. Three people traveling on this Dutch flag ship have died so far due to this virus. Which included a Dutch couple and a German woman. Hantavirus infection was also confirmed in two of these people.

At the same time, after Canadian authorities confirmed another case of Hantavirus on Sunday (May 17, 2026), the number of cases of infection among cruise ship passengers has increased to 11.

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What did WHO DG say about Hantavirus?

Earlier, the Director General (DG) of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said regarding this virus that there is no indication that this (Hantavirus) is the beginning of any big problem, but along with this he also said that in view of the long incubation period of the virus, more cases may emerge in the coming weeks.

Why did WHO DG thank Spain?

Addressing the World Health Assembly held in Switzerland, WHO DG Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus thanked Spanish authorities for helping deal with the Hantavirus outbreak. He said that Spain had allowed the cruise ship MV Hondius to reach the Canary Islands and had also coordinated the process of sending the people on board back to their countries.

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