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4w ago

Hantavirus Cases Linked to MV Hondius Rise to 13

Health agencies say the cluster involves the Andes strain that can rarely spread between people, requiring prolonged contact monitoring.

Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (L) and the Televisión Canaria video
A passenger of the cruise ship MV Hondius, which was affected by a hantavirus outbreak, gets disinfected on the tarmac at Tenerife Sud airport, Canary Islands, Spain, May 10, 2026. REUTERS/Borja Suarez/File Photo
The cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a hantavirus outbreak, at the port of Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, Spain, May 11, 2026. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo
A person waving from the shore in the direction of the MV Hondius cruise liner at sea; an MV Hondius passenger getting disinfected by two personnel in orange uniforms after the MV Hondius ported in the Canary Islands on May 10

Overview

  • The World Health Organization says 13 cases have now been reported in the cluster, of which 11 are laboratory confirmed and two are probable, and three people have died.
  • Spanish authorities reported the latest case from patients evacuated from the MV Hondius and said the patient was in isolation at Gómez Ulla hospital in Madrid.
  • The outbreak began aboard the MV Hondius earlier in May while the vessel carried about 150 people and triggered coordinated evacuations, repatriation flights, testing and quarantines across several countries.
  • The ship, which docked in the Netherlands, has had its departure delayed for extra cleaning and disinfection after local health inspectors advised additional work.
  • Public health agencies note the Andes hantavirus is normally rodent-borne but can rarely transmit between close contacts, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral, and authorities are using isolation, contact tracing and extended monitoring because incubation can run up to six weeks.