What to know about hantavirus, the illness linked to a cruise ship outbreak
Health officials say the Andes virus rarely spreads between people, and the CDC says hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is fatal in about 35% of cases.
- On Sunday, May 10, 2026, the cruise ship MV Hondius arrived at the port of Granadilla de Abona on Tenerife, Spain, to evacuate passengers following a hantavirus outbreak that killed three people.
- Unlike common hantaviruses spread by rodents, the Andes virus detected in this outbreak can transmit person-to-person, though World Health Organization officials emphasize the general public remains at low risk.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Andes virus causes severe respiratory illness with a mortality rate of about 38%, with symptoms appearing anywhere from 4 to 42 days after exposure.
- Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the WHO, stated the situation is "not the next COVID," while health officials are taking precautions with returning passengers.
- Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine are testing vaccine candidates, but experts note ongoing barriers to rigorously evaluating efficacy against rare New World hantaviruses like the Andes strain.
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ANALYSIS | The deadly hantavirus outbreak could keep growing, beyond the cruise ship. What have we learned?
Hantavirus took hold on a weeks-long cruise before global health officials had any idea that a rodent-borne illness was silently spreading. More people keep falling ill back on land. Scientists expect the outbreak will fizzle out, but the crisis has offered a reminder that viruses can spread faster than public health efforts.
What to know about the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak
The ship at the epicenter of the hantavirus outbreak has been evacuated, and 16 Americans have now been transported to a specialized quarantine unit in Nebraska. Two are at a similar unit in Atlanta. The virus has claimed the lives of three people, including a Dutch couple and a German citizen. William Brangham discussed the virus with Dr. Ashish Jha.
Houston-based doctor says Hantavirus isn't very transmissible despite Hantavirus cruise outbreak
Houston-based Doctor Peter Hotez said this outbreak has been going on since early April and added in past outbreaks the incubation period has been around three weeks.
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