health
May 7, 2026
Cruise passengers who departed ship early monitored for hantavirus in U.S., worldwide
The effort to monitor the spread of hantavirus from a cruise ship currently off the west coast of Africa is expanding, including in the United States, after health officials confirmed the virus on the ship is the rare strain that is transmissible from human to human.
TL;DR
- Hantavirus, specifically the rare Andes strain transmissible between humans, has been confirmed on the cruise ship MV Hondius.
- Twelve countries, including the United States, Canada, and the UK, are monitoring individuals who disembarked the ship.
- Three passengers have died from the virus, including a Dutch couple and a German woman.
- The Andes strain is primarily found in Argentina and Chile and is associated with close, prolonged contact.
- While the pandemic risk is considered low, the outbreak tests global health systems.
- The ship has been denied docking in the Canary Islands and is en route to the islands.
- Argentina, where the Andes strain originates, has offered assistance in managing the outbreak.