No sign of larger hantavirus outbreak, says UN health agency

The World Health Organization has stated that there is currently no sign of a broader outbreak following the evacuation of passengers from a cruise ship affected by hantavirus.

The MV Hondius departed from Tenerife in Spain on May 11, 2026, and is traveling toward the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The final group of 28 passengers arrived in Eindhoven on May 12, 2026, via two separate flights.

Health officials have confirmed a total of seven cases of the virus among those who traveled on the ship, with three deaths reported. Among the confirmed cases are a French national and an American citizen who had previously returned to their respective home countries.

The outbreak has also impacted healthcare workers in the Netherlands. Twelve employees at a hospital in Nijmegen entered quarantine on May 11, 2026, after possible exposure to the virus. The hospital reported that the quarantine was a precautionary measure taken because staff did not follow strict protocols while handling blood and urine samples from an evacuated passenger.

During a press conference held in Madrid on May 12, 2026, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the current risk level.

At the moment, there is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Despite the current assessment, the WHO chief warned that the situation remains fluid. He noted that because the virus has a long incubation period, additional cases could emerge in the following weeks, stating that our work is not over in efforts to contain the spread from the ship.

The WHO believes the passengers contracted the Andes strain of hantavirus while in South America. While most hantaviruses are primarily carried by rodents, the Andes strain is notable because human-to-human transmission is possible.

Public health data indicates that hantavirus symptoms can include:

• Fever and extreme fatigue
• Muscle aches and stomach pain
• Vomiting and diarrhoea
• Shortness of breath

The UN health agency has emphasized that the risk of the virus spreading to the general population is absolutely low. This assessment was supported by the news that a flight attendant who had contact with an infected passenger, who subsequently died, tested negative for the disease.