Four Ukrainian crew members on the cruise ship MV Hondius remain on board, where a hantavirus outbreak has been reported. They are not passengers but work as part of the ship’s crew, according to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Suspilne reports.
As a reminder, the outbreak of the dangerous hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius has forced European countries to take emergency safety measures.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is one confirmed case of the disease and five suspected cases on board, with three deaths already reported. The virus can remain latent for up to 8 weeks, complicating timely diagnosis and containment.
Outbreak on board: WHO reports deaths and suspected infections
According to the organization, the virus can remain in a latent state for up to eight weeks, making early diagnosis and containment difficult.
The case involving Ukrainian nationals is under the supervision of the Consular Service Department, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands, the Embassy of Ukraine in Spain, and the Ukrainian Consulate in Málaga.
Consular officials are in contact with a fifth Ukrainian crew member who is being evacuated to the Netherlands as part of a partial evacuation.
Ukrainian crew under monitoring: partial evacuation already approved
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has stated that the Ukrainians remain on board to complete the voyage and ensure the vessel's safe arrival in the Netherlands. One crew member will be evacuated by special flight, while no signs of illness have been detected among him or the other Ukrainians, TSN reports.
Upon arrival, the entire crew will undergo quarantine screening.
Europe increases surveillance: contact cases already recorded in several countries
The threat has reached Ukraine’s neighboring region: in Poland, sanitary monitoring has been introduced for a person who had contact with a passenger from the ship. The Ukrainian Embassy in the Netherlands has also confirmed that five Ukrainians are among the vessel’s crew.
Their current health condition is reported as stable, but because tourists who disembarked in different countries are geographically dispersed, epidemiologists are conducting extensive investigations.
The situation coincides with a sharp increase in infections in Argentina, where the number of cases has doubled since June 2025. Researchers link this to climate change, which facilitates the spread of the Andes virus. This strain causes severe pulmonary syndrome, with a mortality rate reaching 30% over the past year, affecting even densely populated provinces.
Despite the seriousness of symptoms, the WHO currently assesses the risk of widespread transmission as low. Human-to-human transmission of this strain is rare, unlike many other viral threats. However, health authorities worldwide are urging vigilance, as infected passengers have already returned home to the US and European countries.
