# MV Hondius

> Polar expedition vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, at the origin of the April-May 2026 Andes hantavirus cluster between Ushuaia and Tenerife (Granadilla de Abona).

Canonical source: https://hantatracker.fr/en/glossary/mv-hondius/

**Aliases**: Hondius, M/V Hondius

**MV Hondius** is a polar expedition vessel operated by the Dutch company **Oceanwide Expeditions**. Built in 2019, it is at the centre of the April-May 2026 hantavirus event — the first known Andes virus cluster aboard a vessel at sea. This glossary page summarises the vessel's identity; the full details of the event and complete timeline are on the **[dedicated /ship/ page](/en/ship/)**.

## Vessel identity

### Technical characteristics

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Name | MV Hondius |
| Flag | Netherlands |
| Operator | Oceanwide Expeditions |
| Builder | Brodosplit (Croatia) |
| In service | 2019 |
| IMO number | 9818709 |
| Passenger capacity | 196 (in 95 cabins) |
| Crew complement | 72 |
| Ice classification | Polar Class 6 (world's first vessel certified from design) |
| Propulsion | 2 ABC diesel engines, total power 4.3 MW |

### Distinctive feature

MV Hondius is the **world's first vessel** designed and certified *Polar Class 6* from the outset, making it one of the expedition vessels most suited to navigating polar waters in the presence of thin ice. This characteristic explains its use for expedition cruises to Antarctica, South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, Tristan da Cunha, the Norwegian Arctic and Svalbard.

## Relevance for HantaTracker

### The April-May 2026 voyage

The voyage that gave rise to the hantavirus event:

- **1 April 2026**: departure from Ushuaia, Argentina
- Itinerary: Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, Cape Verde (entry refused), Tenerife (Granadilla de Abona)
- **10 May 2026**: arrival at Granadilla de Abona port, Tenerife (Spain) at 06:24 local time; captain Jan Dobrogowski
- **149 people** on board (passengers + crew), **23 nationalities**
- **8 cases** of hantavirus, **3 deaths**, **10 countries** under contact tracing

### Contamination hypothesis

According to health authorities, the first patients were likely infected **before boarding**, during stays in South America (Argentina, Chile) where Andes virus is endemic. Continued person-to-person transmission on board, raised by WHO on 7 May 2026, is consistent with the known characteristics of Andes virus — the only hantavirus for which such transmission is documented.

### Operational response

The vessel cooperated with health authorities from the moment the pathogen was identified: reporting to WHO, requests for berthing authorisation at several ports, hosting the health assessment and coordinating with embassies for the repatriation of passengers. The final disembarkation in Tenerife (Granadilla de Abona port, south coast) took place under WHO/ECDC coordination with PPE (FFP2) worn by medical teams and symptomatic passengers.

## Learn more

- **[The vessel page](/en/ship/)** — detailed factsheet and full timeline of the voyage
- **[Home page](/en/)** — official tally and interactive map
- **[France dashboard](/en/france/)** — France-side tracking (cases, contacts, mobilised hospitals)
- **[Official sources](/en/sources/)** — comprehensive list of WHO, ECDC, CDC and press sources