Published on: 2026-05-06
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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Today it became known that another passenger of the cruise liner, on which an outbreak of the virus was recorded, was infected with this deadly disease. The epidemic on board the Hondius ship claimed the lives of three people. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) is coordinating international efforts aimed at localizing the virus outbreak and ensuring the safety of liner passengers.
A man who was diagnosed with the virus is undergoing treatment in one of the hospitals in Zurich after returning to Switzerland.
“In accordance with international medical and sanitary regulations, WHO collaborates with affected countries to track contacts of the sick. We monitor individuals potentially exposed to the risk of infection and intend to limit the further spread of the disease,” the World Health Organization said in a message on the social network X.
According to WHO data, as of Wednesday, three out of 147 passengers of the vessel have died since it departed from Argentina, across the Atlantic Ocean to its current anchorage near the coast of Cabo Verde. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported on Wednesday morning that three passengers were “just evacuated” from the vessel and are being sent to the Netherlands for treatment.
“At this stage, the overall risk to public health remains low,” he emphasized.
Story of a liner
The vessel Hondius was built in Croatia and launched in June 2018. The length of the vessel is about 108 meters; it is registered with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under identification number 9818709. The vessel is designed for 196 passengers and 72 crew members. It is named in honor of the 17th-century map publisher and engraver Jodocus Hondius.
The first voyage of the expedition vessel took place in 2019: it arrived from Vlissingen in the Netherlands to the volcanic island of Jan Mayen, and then to Spitsbergen in the Arctic.
The World Health Organization considers that all those infected with the virus were contaminated before boarding. To date, eight cases of infection have been registered. Laboratory tests have confirmed that at least in three of them it is a case of Andes virus.
On Tuesday, the WHO reported that one patient in intensive care in South Africa is ‘improving.’
The National Institute of Infectious Diseases of South Africa and university hospitals in Geneva participated in the work on virus identification. WHO noted that additional support was provided by the Pasteur Institute in Dakar and the National Directorate of Laboratories and Health Institutes of Argentina.
Providing assistance to patients – “the highest priority”
“WOZ will continue to cooperate with countries to provide patients, individuals who have had contact with them, passengers, and crew with necessary information and support to ensure safety and prevent the spread of infection,” the organization stated.
At a press conference on Tuesday, WHO representatives emphasized that at that moment the “top priority” was the evacuation of the two sick passengers, who were still on board, “in order to provide them with the necessary medical assistance.” As noted above, the infected individuals were evacuated today.
As explained by the agency’s representative Dr. Maria van Kervove, after the ship arrives at the Canary Islands, Spanish authorities will conduct a full epidemiological investigation and a complete disinfection of the ship, and then assess the risk for passengers remaining on board.
“We have received messages from quite a large number of people on board the ship. We just want you to know: we cooperate with the ship operators. We cooperate with the countries from which you arrived. We hear you. We know that you are frightened,” said Dr. Van Kerove.
As a precautionary measure, passengers were advised to remain in their cabins during the disinfection and other public health measures.
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