A number of passengers on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius have contracted Andes virus (also known as the Andes variant of hantavirus). Key updates from central government regarding the situation can be found on this page.
Cruise ship m/v Hondius
Repatriation of passengers from m/v Hondius successfully completed
Update 12 May, 16:25
All passengers from the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius have now been repatriated. Dutch passengers have arrived in the Netherlands and will remain in home quarantine for the coming weeks. They are being supported by the Municipal Health Service (GGD), and their health is being closely monitored. The cruise ship is currently sailing back to the Netherlands with the remaining crew members on board. They too will go into quarantine upon arrival.
The operation to bring all those on board home in the safest possible way was highly complex. It required intensive cooperation with national and international partners. The Dutch government thanks all those involved, including the shipping company, and expresses its gratitude and appreciation for the cooperation with Spain.
Plane from Tenerife carrying 22 people lands at Eindhoven
Update 12 May, 08:00
Last night a flight carrying 22 people arrived at Eindhoven Airport. It was carrying 19 crew members from the cruise ship MV Hondius and 3 medical staff.
The crew members comprise 17 Filipinos, 1 German national and 1 Dutch national. The medical staff are a doctor from the United Kingdom and two epidemiologists from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Those who live in the Netherlands will be taken home safely by professional transport and will go into home quarantine there. People who do not live in the Netherlands will be put up at a quarantine location arranged by the Municipal Health Service (GGD).
A third flight also landed at Eindhoven during the night. This flight was operated by the Australian authorities.
Departure of Dutch flight from Tenerife carrying 22 passengers
Update 11 May, 20:43
The second Dutch flight carrying 22 passengers from the MV Hondius, including 1 Dutch national and 21 people of other nationalities, departed from Tenerife for the Netherlands. This is a charter flight organised by the Dutch government, in close cooperation with the shipping company Oceanwide Expeditions, on which the passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius are being flown to Eindhoven under medical supervision. The aircraft is large enough to allow sufficient distance to be maintained between passengers on board.
This evening, a flight operated by the Australian authorities will also depart. It will likewise land at Eindhoven.
Plane from Tenerife carrying 26 passengers lands at Eindhoven
Update 10 May, 20:35
The Dutch flight from Tenerife carrying 26 passengers from the MV Hondius has just landed at Eindhoven Airport. Eight of the passengers are Dutch nationals. The others are from India (2), Germany (4), Argentina (1), Belgium (2), Greece (1), Portugal (1), Ukraine (1), Guatemala (1), Philippines (4) and Montenegro (1). The cruise ship arrived in Tenerife this morning. The 26 passengers boarded the Dutch-chartered flight this afternoon.
Part of the ship’s crew will be evacuated on a second flight from Tenerife to Eindhoven planned for tomorrow.
Complex operation
Over the past few days, several parties have worked hard to ensure the complex operation is carried out safely, foreign minister Tom Berendsen wrote on X. He also thanked everyone involved, in particular the Spanish authorities and his Spanish counterpart for their crucial work and coordination.
The Dutch passengers will be taken home safely by professional transport. They will then quarantine at home for six weeks. People who do not live in the Netherlands will be put up at a quarantine location arranged by the GGD. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has put the necessary measures in place.
Dutch plane carrying 26 passengers leaves Tenerife
Update 10 May, 16:46
A Dutch flight has just departed from Tenerife, carrying 26 passengers from the MV Hondius, 8 of whom are Dutch nationals and 18 are nationals of other countries. The flight has been chartered by the Dutch government, working in close cooperation with the cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions. Medical staff are also on board. The plane, which is headed for Eindhoven, is big enough for everyone to keep sufficient distance from one another. With this flight, all Dutch passengers from the MV Hondius have now left Tenerife.
Before the flight, everyone who had been on board the MV Hondius was examined by medical experts. The comprehensive safety measures and medical tests took up the entire morning. A team from the Dutch embassy in Madrid and a number of staff from the Rapid Deployment Consular Support Team (SCOT) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are present in Tenerife.
A second flight from Tenerife to Eindhoven for crew members is planned for Monday. The other cruise ship passengers will be evacuated from Tenerife by their own governments, starting on Sunday. Some of the crew are staying on the MV Hondius in order to bring it to the Netherlands.
Today’s flight is scheduled to land at Eindhoven approximately between 20.45 and 21.45 hrs. The Dutch nationals will be taken home safely by professional transport. They will then quarantine at home for six weeks. The municipal health service (GGD) will be in close contact with them during this period. People who do not live in the Netherlands will be accommodated at a quarantine location set up by the GGD.
Safe reception is also available for those who cannot immediately continue their journey from the Netherlands. This is being arranged by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
Cruise ship MV Hondius en route to Tenerife
Update, 8 May 2026
The Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, where an outbreak of Andes virus (a variant of hantavirus) has been confirmed, is expected to arrive in Tenerife on the morning of Sunday 10 May. The Spanish authorities have said that they are prepared to receive the ship. They will examine whether those on board are showing symptoms of illness. This will be done in consultation with the doctors and epidemiologists who are already on board. The latter have stated that it is essential that a clear follow-up plan – covering transport and reception – is in place for everyone leaving the ship.
Quarantine of passengers and crew members
On the advice of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Dutch passengers and crew members without symptoms will quarantine at home. For the time being, the Netherlands will follow the guidelines provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). This means quarantining at home for a period of six weeks from the last high-risk contact.
RIVM has stated that there is no reason to suppose that Andes virus will lead to a pandemic, like the one seen with COVID-19. Andes virus spreads primarily through contact with mouse and rat faeces. The likelihood of the virus spreading from human to human is extremely low. Transmission can occur only when people are in close contact with one another for a prolonged period. This makes it a very different virus from coronavirus, which is many times more contagious.
Controlled departure of passengers without symptoms
As soon as possible following the ship’s arrival in Tenerife, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working in close cooperation with the Spanish authorities, the ship’s operator and the relevant ministries in the Netherlands, will arrange for repatriation subject to medical parameters of all Dutch passengers and Dutch crew members on board the ship.
A team from the Dutch embassy in Madrid and a number of staff from the Rapid Deployment Consular Support Team (SCOT) will be present to receive Dutch nationals safely and coordinate their onward travel in a controlled manner. Staff from RIVM and local municipal health services (GGDs) will be responsible for safe reception and transportation in the Netherlands. Since the ship is sailing under the Dutch flag, it is possible that, in addition to the Dutch passengers and crew members, the Netherlands may also provide temporary reception for people of other nationalities.
Medical evacuation of passengers m/v Hondius
update 6 May 2026
Two medical evacuation flights today picked up two sick passengers and one passenger who may be infected from the Dutch cruise ship m/v Hondius, which is currently anchored off the coast of Cabo Verde.
The evacuees are a British national (56), a Dutch national (41) and a German national (65). Upon arrival they will be transferred directly to specialist hospitals in Europe.
Medical evacuation of passengers
As the ship is flying the Dutch flag, the Netherlands is coordinating assistance for those on board through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry is in close contact with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the ship’s operator, and the authorities in Cabo Verde and other countries involved. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitated the evacuation in cooperation with Dutch embassies in the region.
Current situation on m/v Hondius
The m/v Hondius was en route from Argentina to Cabo Verde with around 150 people from various countries on board. Several people have since fallen ill. Two Dutch nationals have died, one of whom has been confirmed to have had hantavirus. Hantavirus has also been detected in another passenger who is currently in intensive care in Johannesburg. The cause of death of a passenger who died on board the ship on 2 May has not yet been determined.
It is now clear that the established cases involved the Andes variant of hantavirus. RIVM is involved in the preventive measures on board the ship and in the medical evacuation. The possibility that this was the Andes variant was taken into account from the outset.
Two medical specialists from the Netherlands are now on their way to Cabo Verde to provide support on board the ship and ensure optimal medical care during the crossing.
Read more about hantaviruses on the RIVM website.