Two more cruise ship passengers test positive for hantavirus | Health News
Two Test Positive for Hantavirus Linked to Cruise Ship Outbreak
Published May 11, 2026
A French woman and an American man have tested positive for hantavirus infections after being evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which has been dealing with a major outbreak. Health authorities are currently repatriating passengers from the vessel in the Canary Islands.
French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist reported Monday that the French passenger’s condition is deteriorating, according to Reuters. “What is key is to act at the start and break the virus transmission chains,” Rist stated during an interview with France Inter, referencing a recent decree aimed at strengthening isolation measures for those in contact with infected individuals.
So far, four additional French passengers have tested negative, while health officials are monitoring 22 contact cases.
In a related statement, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that one American evacuee on a repatriation flight tested “mildly positive” for the virus, while another exhibited mild symptoms. Both individuals traveled in biocontainment units as a precaution. All 17 passengers from the MV Hondius are set to undergo clinical assessments upon arrival in the U.S.
This recent development raises the total number of confirmed cases from the cruise ship to 10. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed two fatalities and one probable death linked to the outbreak, with four individuals currently hospitalized, one in intensive care in South Africa.
The MV Hondius remains anchored near Tenerife after being stranded for several weeks due to the outbreak. Health authorities are actively monitoring passengers who disembarked prior to the identification of the virus.
The evacuation process will be completed Monday, as flights are organized to Australia and the Netherlands. One flight will transport six passengers to Australia, while another will carry 18 passengers to the Netherlands. Both flights will also accommodate individuals from other nations without their own repatriation flights.
Hantaviruses primarily cause severe respiratory illness and are typically transmitted by rodents, although human-to-human transmission can occur in rare cases. Symptoms may arise one to eight weeks post-exposure and include headaches, fever, chills, gastrointestinal issues, and respiratory distress.
The Andes strain of hantavirus identified in this outbreak has a fatality rate of 40 to 50 percent, particularly affecting the elderly. The WHO has recommended a quarantine period of 42 days for the affected cruise passengers. Experts have emphasized the need for calm, noting that hantavirus is significantly less contagious than COVID-19.
Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UK Health Security Agency, stated that the risk to the broader public remains “extremely low,” according to the Press Association.
