Argentina Investigates Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship

Argentina is investigating whether it was the source of a deadly hantavirus outbreak on an Atlantic cruise ship that has claimed three lives. The MV Hondius cruise ship, which departed from Ushuaia for Antarctica, is now anchored off Cape Verde after being given permission to continue its journey to the Canary Islands.

Three people onboard have died from the Andes virus strain of hantavirus, which can cause a severe lung disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. According to multiple reports, five confirmed and three suspected cases linked to the cruise have been identified worldwide. One infected passenger remains in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa, while another is hospitalized in Switzerland.

Argentina's health ministry reported 101 hantavirus infections since June 2025, roughly double the caseload recorded over the same period last year. The outbreak has been linked to climate change, as higher temperatures and changing ecosystems have allowed rodents that carry the virus to thrive in more places.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with the ship's operators to monitor the health of passengers and crew and support appropriate medical follow-up. While human-to-human transmission is rare, it has been observed in some previous outbreaks with the Andes strain. Passengers who disembarked in Saint Helena and other locations are being monitored for symptoms.

Investigators believe the outbreak may have originated from initial exposure to infected rodents near ports or excursion sites before spreading among passengers and crew members. Authorities suspect that a Dutch couple who died after the cruise may have contracted the virus during an excursion near Ushuaia, as reported by UPI. Argentine health officials have deployed operations to capture and test rodents in Tierra del Fuego province to determine whether the cruise-related infections originated there.

Argentina's government has accused the WHO of politicizing the current hantavirus outbreak, suggesting it is attempting to reverse Argentina's decision to withdraw from the organization. The Health Ministry issued a statement rejecting calls from the WHO to reconsider exits by both Argentina and the United States during the health emergency linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius.

Argentina formally left the WHO on March 17, while the United States did so on January 22. The Milei administration stated it will continue epidemiological monitoring and regional cooperation without 'political subordination,' defending Argentina's national health and technical capacity to confront emergencies.