Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Kills 3 — WHO Says Public Risk Is Low
A rare hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has killed 3 and infected 8 passengers. WHO and CDC are monitoring the situation as the ship docks in the Canary Islands.
On May 2, 2026, a cluster of passengers with severe respiratory illness aboard a cruise ship was reported to the World Health Organization. At that time, 147 passengers and crew were onboard, and 34 passengers and crew had previously disembarked.
A total of eight cases, including three deaths, have been reported in the outbreak. The rare but dangerous virus is carried by rodents and has prompted concerns, though all experts stress the situation is not comparable to COVID-19, both due to the type of virus involved and ongoing containment efforts. Health authorities across multiple countries are rushing to trace contacts of the sick passengers.
On May 7, 2026, the CDC sent a team to meet the cruise ship in the Canary Islands, Spain. The team is assessing exposure risk among US passengers and determining appropriate monitoring measures. The risk to the public in the United States is considered extremely low at this time.
WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters: "Based on scientific assessment and based on evidence, the risk to the public is low. So they shouldn't be scared and they shouldn't panic."
Published May 11 in Health