As per Oceanwide Expeditions, owners of the cruise ship MV Hondius, the outbreak of the deadly hantavirus, which claimed three lives, must have occurred before the cruise ship embarked on its journey and is not caused by an issue with the cruise ship but may be attributed to something else. As pointed out by CEO Remi Bouysset, there had been no presence of rats aboard as they are carriers of such a virus. While the disease normally affects rodents that get transmitted to humans, this kind of hantavirus, i.e., Andes virus, can also be passed on by humans in some instances.

The cruise ship has reached Rotterdam and is going to be disinfected along with the replacement of new crew members to get ready for its Arctic season, which is going to begin next month. Moreover, scientists from Argentina will begin searching for rats in the nearby forest area of Ushuaia.