Hantavirus: Air ambulance lands in Amsterdam airport
What you need to know
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A medical evacuation flight has landed in Amsterdam
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The cruise ship where the hantavirus outbreak occurred has started moving from Cape Verde
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Spain's Health Ministry has said it will allow the luxury cruise ship to dock at the Canary Island of Tenerife
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The regional government of Spain's Canary Islands objects, saying there is insufficient information to reassure the public
Stay with us for the latest news on the MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak:
Skip next section Dutch hantavirus victims visited two countries before Argentina05/07/2026May 7, 2026Dutch hantavirus victims visited two countries before Argentina
Argentina's Health Ministry said the Dutch couple who died of hantavirus had been in Chile and Uruguay before boarding the MV Hondius in Ushuaia, Argentina.
The husband died onboard the ship on April 11 and his body was disembarked in Saint Helena, while his wife, who was feeling unwell, also left the ship at Saint Helena and was later evacuated to a hospital in Johannesburg, where she died.
The Argentine Health Ministry said it was sending experts to Ushuaia to capture and test rodents for the virus "in areas linked to the route" that the pair of tourists took.
The husband-and-wife arrived in Argentina on November 27, then traveled to Chile and Uruguay before returning to Argentina on March 27 to board the MV Hondius on April 1, authorities said, without commenting on where they could have caught the virus.
But the ministry did say that the Andes strain of the virus has not been detected in Tierra del Fuego province, where Ushuaia is situated, since 1996.
Hantavirus outbreak at sea: Who is legally obliged to help?
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https://p.dw.com/p/5DO6YSkip next section Two passengers self isolate in the UKPublished 05/06/2026Published May 6, 2026last updated 05/06/2026last updated May 6, 2026Two passengers self isolate in the UK
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that none of the British citizens onboard the luxury cruise ship had reported Hantavirus symptoms, but two who returned to the UK have been advised to self isolate.
"UKHSA is aware of two people who have returned to the UK independently having been on board the MV Hondius," the agency said.
"Neither of these individuals is currently reporting symptoms. They are receiving advice and support from UKHSA and have been advised to self-isolate," the agency added.
UKHSA confirmed that one British national was among three people with suspected hantavirus who have been evacuated from the Hondius to receive medical care in the Netherlands.
The agency said that of the the remaining British nationals on board, none of them are currently reporting symptoms, but they are being "closely monitored."
UKHSA said the passengers can be repatriated once the ship docks at its next destination, provided they do not develop symptoms.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DO3bSkip next section MV Hondius sets sail from Praia bound for Tenerife05/06/2026May 6, 2026MV Hondius sets sail from Praia bound for Tenerife
The cruise ship at the center of the outbreak, the MV Hondius, set sail from Cape Verde for the Canary Islands on Wednesday evening, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.
It currently plans to sail for Tenerife and to dock on Saturday, at least according to the Spanish government's stated plans.
However, the local government in the Canary Islands has made its reservations clear and the ship is likely to be at sea for some time before it can dock in any case.
Nearly 150 people are on board the ship, with the known medical emergencies among the passengers having been flown out for treatment in Europe.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DNzbSkip next section Plane that landed in Gran Canaria reportedly needs replacement amid electrical support system fault05/06/2026May 6, 2026Plane that landed in Gran Canaria reportedly needs replacement amid electrical support system fault
Two patients being flown to Amsterdam need a replacement air ambulance, after their plane that landed in Gran Canaria exhibited a technical fault, according to Spanish officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
The AFP news agency cited Spanish Health Ministry sources as saying that the plane's doctor "reported a fault in the electrical support system" for one of the patients. "Therefore, the patient remains on the plane with the airport's electrical supply awaiting the arrival of a new plane to continue their journey."
The Spanish EFE news agency, meanwhile, cited sources in the Canary Islands government similarly reporting an electrical problem, specifically concerning the patient's isolation bubble.
It said that this additional problem was the reason that Morocco had refused the plane access for its scheduled refueling stop in Marrakesh.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DNz1Skip next section Flight lands at Amsterdam's Schiphol, at least 1 patient bound for Leiden university hospital05/06/2026May 6, 2026Flight lands at Amsterdam's Schiphol, at least 1 patient bound for Leiden university hospital
A plane thought to be carrying at least one passenger from the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius ship has landed at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, according to both the AFP and AP news agencies.
The air ambulance had taken off from Praia Airport.
There's been no official confirmation of the next steps, but the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) said in a statement that it was expecting a patient from the ship.
"The ward where the patient is being admitted is prepared to receive patients with severe infectious diseases," the hospital said, adding that all necessary precautions to prevent further spread would be taken.
"In addition to isolation rooms for patients, all necessary protective equipment is available for our staff," it said. "Treatment takes place under strict isolation, in accordance with the applicable protocols."
It said it conducted regular drills simulating similar cases to prepare staff for such eventualities and said patients at the facility need not take any special precautions and should "continue to visit as usual."
https://p.dw.com/p/5DNwLSkip next section MedEvac plane stops to refuel in Canary Islands after Morocco turned it away05/06/2026May 6, 2026MedEvac plane stops to refuel in Canary Islands after Morocco turned it away
An air ambulance transporting two suspected hantavirus patients from the cruise ship to the Netherlands has stopped to refuel in Gran Canaria, after being refused permission to enter Moroccan airspace.
Spanish news agency EFE cited sources from the regional government in the Canary Islands, while an AFP reporter also observed a plane landing at the airport.
The aircraft had originally planned to refuel in Marrakesh but was diverted to Gran Canaria.
EFE cited its sources as saying that officials at the airport permitted the stop on the condition that nobody disembarked or boarded the plane, with ground crews seeing to the refueling from outside the aircraft.
"It is a technical stop to refuel and continue the planned journey," EFE quoted them as saying.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DNocSkip next section Germany checks Hondius contact for hantavirus05/06/2026May 6, 2026Germany checks Hondius contact for hantavirus
A person linked to a hantavirus case on the cruise ship MV Hondius is being taken to Düsseldorf for precautionary checks.
The University Hospital Düsseldorf confirmed that transfer would be carried out with the Düsseldorf Fire Service on Wednesday evening.
The hospital said the individual is an asymptomatic contact and there is no confirmed infection. The admission is being carried out purely as a precaution for clinical assessment and infectious disease testing.
The person is being transported by specialized emergency teams from an airport in the Netherlands, with reports indicating arrival via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. A plane carrying at least two patients took off from Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, at about 11 a.m. local time.
An earlier Bild newspaper report said the individual headed to Düsseldorf, who was not symptomatic, was a woman. The other two patients were crew members who had already shown signs of illness.
Three people have died in the outbreak on board the MV Hondius — an elderly Dutch couple and a German woman. A passenger has also tested positive after returning to Switzerland.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DNPOSkip next section WHO says cruise hantavirus risk remains low05/06/2026May 6, 2026WHO says cruise hantavirus risk remains low
The head of the World Health Organization has said a deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship does not resemble the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told AFP on Wednesday the risk to the wider world was low and dismissed comparisons with the early COVID crisis.
The MV Hondius has been at the center of an international alert since the WHO was informed that three passengers had died amid suspected hantavirus infections. The rare disease is usually spread by rodents, though the Andes strain — now confirmed in several cases — can pass between people through close contact.
Experts have emphasized that such transmission remains uncommon and typically requires prolonged, close exposure.
Andrew Pollard of the University of Oxford told the PA News and DPA news agencies that the risk of wider spread was "essentially zero," noting the virus rarely transmits between people and can be contained through isolation and quarantine measures.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DNJaSkip next section Hantavirus symptoms range from mild to severe05/06/2026May 6, 2026Hantavirus symptoms range from mild to severe
Hannah Fuchs | Esteban Pardo | Carla BleikerHantavirus infections typically begin with flu-like symptoms, though severity varies by strain.
Early illness usually includes a high fever lasting three to four days, along with headache, abdominal pain and back pain, while some people may have no symptoms at all.
In Europe and Asia, infections can progress to Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, which may cause low blood pressure and kidney dysfunction, sometimes leading to acute kidney failure. Fatality rates range from under 1% to about 15%, depending on the strain.
In North and South America, hantaviruses can cause Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, where fluid builds up in the lungs, blood pressure drops and severe breathing difficulties develop. This form is more dangerous, with fatality rates of roughly 30% to 40%.
Read more about hantavirus here.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DN25Skip next section Hondius set to dock in Tenerife despite opposition from regional government05/06/2026May 6, 2026Hondius set to dock in Tenerife despite opposition from regional government
A cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak is set to dock within three days at the port of Granadilla on Tenerife.
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said the decision was taken despite opposition from the regional government of the Canary Islands.
"A joint health assessment and evacuation mechanism will be implemented to repatriate all passengers. Unless medically incapacitated, all foreign passengers will be repatriated," Garcia said during a press conference.
She added that the 14 Spaniards aboard the MV Hondius would be transferred to the Gómez Ulla Military Hospital in Madrid.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DMsGSkip next section Suspected hantavirus cases flown from Cape Verde05/06/2026May 6, 2026Suspected hantavirus cases flown from Cape Verde
Three suspected hantavirus cases have been evacuated from Praia and flown to Europe by air ambulance, the AFP news agency reports.
The patients were reportedly transferred from the cruise ship MV Hondius before departing from Cape Verde.
The World Health Organization said two of those evacuated are sick crew members and the third is a contact case in stable condition.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed one aircraft heading to Amsterdam, with an expected arrival later in the day, while the destination of a second plane was not specified.
It was earlier reported that three patients were on their way to the Netherlands.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DMdbSkip next section German contact due for testing in Düsseldorf05/06/2026May 6, 2026German contact due for testing in Düsseldorf
A German national from a hantavirus-hit cruise ship is being transported to Germany for precautionary testing, Germany's Bild newspaper reported.
The report said the woman showed no symptoms. She appeared to be one of the three people being flown to the Netherlands after exposure on board the MV Hondius.
According to reports, she is a contact of one of three people who died during the suspected outbreak on the expedition cruise ship.
The woman is being taken by special flight to Amsterdam before transfer under high-containment conditions to a university clinic in Düsseldorf.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DMENSkip next section What hantavirus is and how infection occurs05/06/2026May 6, 2026What hantavirus is and how infection occurs
Hantavirus is a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals — mainly rodents — to humans.
Hantavirus infections typically begin with flu-like symptoms. While they can sometimes prove fatal, the severity varies depending on the viral strain.
In Europe, person-to-person spread has not been observed, and infection typically occurs through contact with virus particles shed by infected animals.
The natural hosts are mostly mice and rats, which release the virus in their saliva, urine and feces. People become infected primarily by breathing in contaminated dust — for example, when dried droppings or nesting material are disturbed.
Infection can also happen by ingesting contaminated particles or by touching the eyes or nose after contact with contaminated surfaces. The virus can survive in the environment for weeks, meaning direct contact with a rodent is not required, although bites can also transmit the infection.
An exception involves the Andes virus, observed in Argentina and Chile, where there have been examples of human-to-human transmission, though this has been rare.
Read more about the symptoms of the virus, and how infection occures.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DMAYSkip next section Three suspected cases sent to Netherlands05/06/2026May 6, 2026Three suspected cases sent to Netherlands
Three people believed to have the hantavirus infection have been evacuated from the MV Hondius and are on their way to the Netherlands.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry says the three are nationals of the Netherlands, Britain and Germany.
Two of the evacuees are confirmed to be ill, while a third is suspected of infection, the ministry said. They are being transferred to specialized hospitals in Europe, though no further details were provided.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DM6QSkip next section Swiss case linked to Hondius hantavirus outbreak05/06/2026May 6, 2026Swiss case linked to Hondius hantavirus outbreak
A passenger from the cruise ship MV Hondius has tested positive for hantavirus after returning to Switzerland.
The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health said the man was being treated at University Hospital Zurich after developing symptoms following a trip to South America.
Authorities said the patient returned with his wife at the end of April and sought medical care after falling ill. They said the hospital was prepared for such cases and that safety for staff and other patients was ensured.
The office added that further cases in Switzerland were unlikely and the risk to the wider public remained low. The patient's wife has shown no symptoms but has entered precautionary self-isolation.
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Hantavirus: Air ambulance lands in Amsterdam airport
