Twenty-three passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship have returned home across countries worldwide after unknowingly contracting hantavirus during a stop at Saint Helena, according to recent reports. Among them is a man who now lives in Switzerland and has confirmed illness with the virus. Additionally, a French passenger tested positive after contact with the infected individual on a flight.

This outbreak stems from the Andes strain of hantavirus—a variant typically transmitted through rodent droppings but capable of spreading via direct human-to-human contact. Symptoms can emerge up to eight weeks after exposure, creating uncertainty about the full scale of infections or secondary transmissions. Authorities have emphasized that while the virus carries a mortality rate of up to 40%, it is far less contagious than respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.

Passengers were informed of the outbreak only days ago, despite initial symptoms appearing as early as April 6. A passenger still aboard the ship revealed that until three days prior, none of the twenty-three individuals had interacted with each other during their brief stop in Saint Helena on April 23. The travelers returned to their home countries—Swiss residents went to Switzerland, Australians to Australia, Taiwanese passengers to Taiwan, Americans across North America, and others to England and the Netherlands.

Argentine investigators identified a Dutch couple from Ushuaia as likely responsible for introducing the virus onboard after they contracted it while visiting a landfill during bird-watching tours days before the ship departed on March 20. Both individuals have since died.

The World Health Organization has initiated contact tracing efforts, though experts warn that delayed notifications may hinder timely intervention. Dr. Ali Khan of the University of Nebraska Medical Center noted that hantavirus requires prolonged, close-contact exposure—such as sustained conversations over meals—not casual interactions to spread. “We’re probably looking at more than a ‘Hello, how are you?’,” he stated.

Passengers were only alerted to potential exposure days after the initial infection, raising concerns about the window for effective containment.