Cruise ship passengers are transported from Tenerife for hantavirus monitoring
Updated
Updated · NBC News · May 8
Cruise ship passengers are transported from Tenerife for hantavirus monitoring
9 articles · Updated · NBC News · May 8
The CDC is sending epidemiologists to meet 17 Americans, who will fly to Offutt Air Force Base and enter quarantine at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
At least eight other US passengers who left the ship on 24 April are being monitored in several states, but none has symptoms and officials have not ordered isolation.
Six infections and two suspected cases have been linked to the MV Hondius since April, with three deaths reported; the Andes strain can spread between people and has up to 50% fatality in the Americas.
How will the strained US-WHO relationship impact the global response to this deadly hantavirus outbreak?
Is the intensive quarantine for a rare human-to-human virus a necessary precaution or an overreaction?
Why is a virus with a 50% fatality rate being classified as a low global risk by health officials?
Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius: 9 Cases, 3 Deaths, and Global Evacuation Efforts in May 2026
Overview
In early May 2026, the MV Hondius cruise ship anchored off Tenerife faces a serious hantavirus outbreak, with three passenger deaths and multiple confirmed and probable cases. A critical challenge arose when over two dozen passengers disembarked in late April without contact tracing, complicating exposure tracking. After the World Health Organization confirmed hantavirus presence on May 2, coordinated evacuation and quarantine efforts began, involving transfers by boat to port and repatriation flights with strict infection controls. Spain leads containment, using military hospitals for quarantine, while the US and UK prepare specialized facilities. Ongoing investigations focus on the outbreak's origin and improving ship sanitation to prevent future risks.