The ship, which departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April 2026, followed an itinerary across the South Atlantic with stops in remote regions including Antarctica, South Georgia, and several islands. As of 4 May, seven cases have been identified, including two laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases and five suspected cases. One patient is critically ill in intensive care in South Africa, while two others remain on board awaiting medical evacuation to the Netherlands, according to Maria Van Kerkhove of the WHO. Passengers have been asked to remain in their cabins while disinfection is carried out, and medical teams from Cabo Verde are providing support.
Disagreements have emerged over docking plans. The WHO said the ship is expected to continue to the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities have agreed to allow docking for investigation and disinfection. However, Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands, said he would reject the Spanish government's push to allow the ship to dock, complaining of a 'lack of loyalty and transparency' from the federal government. Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia stated that passengers will be evacuated after docking at the Granadilla port in Tenerife, with Spanish citizens and symptomatic individuals quarantined on a Madrid military base.
The WHO assesses the risk to the global population as low. Illness onset occurred between 6 and 28 April. The first case, an adult male, developed symptoms on 6 April and died on board on 11 April. A third case was confirmed in Switzerland after a man who traveled on the ship was hospitalized. The exact source of the infection remains unclear, though the WHO believes some human-to-human transmission may have occurred among close contacts.