Hantavirus outbreak spreads to Europe after MV Hondius cruise passenger tests positive back home
By Chris Bradford
Published on May 6, 2026.
The deadly hantavirus outbreak has spread to Europe after a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship tested positive for the virus back home. The virus, which can lie dormant for up to eight weeks, has killed three people and sickened at least five. The man returned home last month after a trip to South America with his wife and went to a Zurich hospital for testing after the cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, informed recent passengers about the virus. Despite local health authorities maintaining that there is currently no risk to the Swiss public, the virus appears to be spreading via "human-to-human transmission". Three suspected patients have been evacuated from the cruise ship in Cape Verde and are set to travel to the Netherlands.
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