US passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship are instructed by authorities after disembarking the vessel in Tenerife, Spain
Health authorities in the United States and Europe are intensifying efforts to contain a hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius after new infections were confirmed among passengers evacuated from the vessel. An American and a French national have now tested positive for the virus after returning to their home countries, raising concerns over possible human-to-human transmission of the rare Andes strain of hantavirus.
The outbreak has already claimed the lives of three passengers, including a Dutch couple and a German woman. Officials confirmed that at least two of the victims tested positive for the virus. The ship is currently docked in Spain’s Canary Islands while health authorities coordinate international evacuation and quarantine operations for more than 90 passengers and crew members.
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, two Americans aboard a repatriation flight showed symptoms associated with hantavirus infection. One of the passengers tested positive, while another displayed mild symptoms and is undergoing further medical evaluation. Authorities said all 17 American citizens evacuated from the ship are now under clinical observation at a medical facility in Nebraska. The passengers were transported in specialized biocontainment units as a precautionary measure.
In France, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist confirmed that a French woman who returned from the voyage is in isolation in Paris and her condition is reportedly worsening. French health officials have already identified more than 20 contact cases linked to the patient as they attempt to prevent further spread.
The outbreak is believed to involve the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare form capable of human-to-human transmission. The World Health Organization says some passengers may have contracted the virus during the ship’s earlier stop in South America, where rodents carrying the virus are common.
Hantavirus infections are usually spread through exposure to rodent urine, droppings, or saliva. Symptoms often begin with fever, fatigue, muscle pain, stomach discomfort, vomiting, and diarrhoea before progressing to severe respiratory complications. Although experts insist the risk of a large-scale outbreak remains low, the unusual possibility of human transmission has prompted strict monitoring measures worldwide.
The WHO has recommended a 42-day isolation period for passengers leaving the ship.
However, American health officials have resisted imposing lengthy quarantines, arguing that transmission between humans remains extremely rare and should not be compared to the spread of COVID-19.
Several countries have already begun emergency evacuation operations. British passengers flown from Tenerife to Manchester are isolating at a hospital in Merseyside, while Spanish authorities placed returning citizens under mandatory quarantine in Madrid. Similar repatriation flights have also transported passengers to the Netherlands and Australia.
Images from the evacuation showed passengers wearing protective gowns, masks, and medical caps as authorities worked to safely remove people from the vessel. International health agencies continue to monitor the situation closely as investigations into the source and spread of the virus continue.
