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Hantavirus Outbreak: 10 Cases, 3 Fatalities Linked to Cruise Ship
15 May
Summary
- WHO reported 10 hantavirus cases, including three deaths, linked to the MV Hondius.
- Eight cases were confirmed for Andes virus infection; two were probable.
- Forty-one individuals in the U.S. are under monitoring for hantavirus exposure.
The World Health Organization has been notified of 10 hantavirus cases linked to an outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship, with three of those cases resulting in death. As of May 15, 2026, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO's Director-General, shared that eight individuals were laboratory-confirmed for Andes virus infection, and two were classified as probable cases.
Further clarification from Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of the WHO's Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Management, adjusted the total count. An earlier report of 11 cases was revised to 10 after the United States confirmed a previously inconclusive test result was negative. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring 41 people for hantavirus.
These 41 individuals fall into three categories: 18 passengers repatriated to health facilities in Nebraska and Georgia, seven passengers who left the ship before the outbreak was identified, and 16 people who may have been exposed during flights with a symptomatic case. The CDC is recommending against travel during the 42-day monitoring period but is not mandating quarantines, instead focusing on risk-based evidence and access to care.
