Swiss authorities have confirmed a hantavirus case in a man who was previously a passenger on the MV Hondius cruise ship. The patient has been hospitalized in Zurich with a strain of the virus that is capable of human-to-human transmission.
The MV Hondius cruise ship is anchored at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu) (AP)What is MV Hondius?
The MV Hondius cruise ship has been at the centre of an international health scare since Saturday, when the UN’s health agency was informed that three passengers had died and the suspected cause was hantavirus.
The Dutch-flagged ship set sail from Ushuaia in Argentina on April 1 and has been anchored off Cape Verde since Sunday.
The ship is carrying 147 passengers and crew. Along with three deaths, one patient is critically ill. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), three others are reporting mild symptoms.
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus is a group of viruses that can cause serious illness in humans. Infection can be life-threatening and has a high fatality rate.
The rare disease is usually spread from infected rodents, typically through urine, droppings and saliva. Although uncommon, limited human to human transmission has been reported in previous outbreaks of Andes virus (a specific species of hantavirus).
What happened on the cruise ship?
A hantavirus outbreak has been confirmed on the MV Hondius cruise ship. The onset of the illness occurred between April 6 to April 28, 2026. Patients reported fever and gastrointestinal symptoms with rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock.
After three deaths and other confirmed cases, passengers on the ship are isolating in their rooms.
The patient in Switzerland
Swiss authorities confirmed that a former passenger of the cruise ship is being treated for hantavirus at a hospital in Zurich.
“One person has tested positive for hantavirus in Switzerland,” said a Swiss health ministry statement.
The man was being treated at the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and the ministry said the hospital was “prepared to deal with such cases, is able to care for the patient, and guarantee the safety of staff and all patients”.
“There is currently no risk to the Swiss public,” authorities said.
How did the patient reach Switzerland?
According to the statement, the man returned to Switzerland from a trip to South America with his wife at the end of April, “after travelling on the cruise ship on which there were a number of hantavirus cases”.
In Switzerland, he “noticed symptoms” and contacted a doctor.
WHO said that the man responded to an email from the ship’s operator informing the passengers of the health event. He then presented himself to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, and is receiving care.
How was hantavirus confirmed in Swiss patient?
A test carried out by Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) revealed he had hantavirus.
HUG said the test, conducted on Tuesday, had confirmed the man had the Andes strain — the only known hantavirus strain that can be passed between humans.
(With inputs from agencies)