WHO Tracks Hantavirus Cases Tied to Expedition Cruise Ship

Health authorities across Europe are closely monitoring a rare hantavirus outbreak linked to passengers who travelled aboard the MV Hondius, an expedition cruise ship. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed nine cases of the Andes strain, with two more suspected. Three people have died in connection with the outbreak, raising serious international concern.

Spanish authorities completed the evacuation of passengers at Granadilla Port in Tenerife, Canary Islands, on May 10, 2026. The ship then departed for Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The final 28 passengers were flown to Eindhoven on Tuesday, bringing the full evacuation to a close.

The outbreak has affected people in more than ten countries, including France, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United States. A French woman is currently in intensive care in Paris with severe respiratory symptoms. In the Dutch city of Nijmegen, twelve hospital workers were placed in quarantine after failing to follow safety protocols while handling infected patient samples.

Hantaviruses are normally spread by rodents, but the Andes strain is unusual because human-to-human transmission is possible in rare cases. Symptoms include high fever, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, and shortness of breath. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Tuesday that there is currently no sign of a wider outbreak but warned the situation could still change.

Officials are urging all former passengers of the MV Hondius to monitor their health carefully and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms appear. The WHO has stated that the overall risk of widespread transmission remains low. However, close surveillance across multiple countries is essential to prevent the virus from spreading further.