On March 20, 149 people boarded the luxury ship in Ushuaia, Argentina. 28 different nationalities, including one Swedish man, were among the passengers and crew.
After a couple of weeks of sailing, on April 6, the first passenger fell ill. He was a 70-year-old man from the Netherlands who developed fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Five days later he died at sea.
Three dead
A total of ten cases have been linked to the ship so far. Three of them - the Dutch man, his wife and a German woman - have died. However, the Dutch man has not yet been confirmed to be infected with the virus, and is still considered a probable case, according to WHO statistics.
The others - from the United States, France, South Africa, the Netherlands and Switzerland - are being treated in hospital, AFP reports.
On May 3, the Hondius reached the waters around Cape Verde, the ship's intended final destination. However, the passengers were not allowed to leave the boat, as three people on board had been in close contact with the deceased German woman.
Authorities confirm that tests have detected Andes virus, the most dangerous variant of hantavirus and the only one believed to be able to transmit between humans.
Everyone on board the Hondius is considered "high-risk contacts" and must be monitored, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced.
The Hondius then travelled to the Canary Island of Tenerife, where passengers and crew were evacuated and taken ashore in smaller boats.
On Sunday, May 10, 94 people from 19 countries were evacuated from the Hondius and flown from Tenerife by plane - under close supervision - for further quarantine.
What happens now?
Part of the crew will remain on the ship for the onward journey to the home port in the Netherlands.
The American passengers who were evacuated have been flown to a highly specialized quarantine facility in Nebraska where they will be examined.
The source of the outbreak is unknown, but it is suspected that the passengers came into contact with the virus before leaving Argentina. Epidemiologists from WHO and Argentine health authorities are now investigating to trace the source of the infection.
