Hantavirus Cases Linked to MV Hondius Cruise Ship Under Monitoring in Multiple U.S. States

Health officials across multiple U.S. states are monitoring residents for potential hantavirus infections linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak. The ship, which departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, 2026, experienced an outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus, resulting in three confirmed deaths and several other cases among passengers and crew.

In the United States, 18 individuals—17 Americans and one British dual national—were evacuated from the ship and are currently under medical observation. Sixteen of these individuals are at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, with 15 in a quarantine unit and one asymptomatic person in a biocontainment unit. Two others are at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta; one is in the biocontainment unit with mild symptoms and has tested negative, while the other is being monitored as a close contact.

Health officials in Arizona, California, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia, and Washington are monitoring residents for potential infections linked to the cruise ship. As of now, none of these states have reported any cases.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that while more cases are likely to emerge, there is no indication of a larger outbreak at this time. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the organization can only advise and recommend protocols to countries but cannot enforce them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified the outbreak as a "level 3" emergency response. The Andes strain of hantavirus is known for its potential human-to-human transmission, though such cases are rare.