US passengers from ship quarantined as officials say public risk 'very low'

One passenger has tested positive for Andes virus, a rare type of hantavirus, while another is showing mild symptoms, health officials say.

More than a dozen Americans have been quarantined at the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha, Nebraska after being exposed to a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the Antarctic cruise ship MV Hondius. The outbreak involved the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, which is carried by rodents. Three passengers, including a Dutch couple and a German national, have died, and five others are ill. Among the Americans, one tested "mildly positive" and is experiencing light symptoms; this individual and another passenger were transported in biocontainment units. Sixteen others are being observed round-the-clock in single-occupancy rooms with dedicated ventilation systems.

In May 2026, two Americans exposed to a hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius were transported in biocontainment units back to the U.S. The Dutch-flagged vessel, which traveled from Argentina to Spain, was struck by an outbreak of the Andes virus—a rat-borne hantavirus strain capable of limited human-to-human transmission. Passengers were ordered to isolate in their cabins, and the ship remained at sea until docking in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Seventeen Americans were repatriated via a State Department airlift, with two placed in isolation during the flight due to one displaying mild symptoms and another testing mildly positive for the virus. The infected individuals were transported to secure facilities in Nebraska for care and monitoring. Eight confirmed cases, including three fatalities—a Dutch couple and a German passenger—have emerged from the outbreak, prompting health experts to warn of potential further cases, though the general public remains at low risk. The CDC reassured that widespread transmission in the U.S. is unlikely, emphasizing that hantavirus is not as easily transmissible as COVID-19.

In May 2026, passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which experienced a deadly hantavirus outbreak, were flown to over 20 countries for quarantine and monitoring. The ship had anchored in the Canary Islands, and passengers were evacuated under strict health protocols. Three passengers died, and six confirmed or suspected cases of hantavirus were reported, including individuals in France, the U.S., and South Africa. The outbreak is believed to have originated from South American rodents carrying the Andes virus, which can rarely spread between humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that the public risk remains low and advised a 42-day quarantine for all returning travelers. U.S. health agencies received 18 evacuated passengers, with some tested and monitored at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Emory University Hospital. One American passenger was in a biocontainment unit in Omaha but asymptomatic. Despite criticism over the U.S. response time, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated the situation is under control. The ship is now en route to Rotterdam with remaining crew members. This marks the first known hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship.

On 2 May 2026, a cluster of passengers with severe respiratory illness aboard a cruise ship was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). At that time, according to the ship operator, 147 passengers and crew were onboard, and 34 passengers and crew had previously disembarked. Since the last Disease Outbreak News published on 4 May, three of the suspected cases were confirmed, and one additional confirmed case was reported. As of 8 May, a total of eight cases, including three deaths (case fatality ratio 38%), have been reported. Six cases have been laboratory-confirmed as hantavirus infections, with all identified as Andes virus (ANDV). Through the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) channel, National IHR Focal Points (NFPs) have all been informed and are supporting international contact tracing. WHO assesses the risk to the global population posed by this event as low and will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and update the risk assessment. The risk for passengers and crew on the ship is considered moderate.

Two American passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship, linked to a hantavirus outbreak, are being monitored at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Health officials emphasize that there is no public risk, and all precautions are being taken.