Mapping the hantavirus outbreak as cruise ship passengers return to US

Eighteen American passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius, infected with the Andes variant of hantavirus, were evacuated on May 10 from the vessel anchored near Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. They arrived in Nebraska on May 11 aboard a U.S. government medical repatriation flight, with sixteen quarantined at the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska and two taken to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. One of the two tested negative for hantavirus despite experiencing symptoms. The ship evacuated 94 passengers of 19 nationalities on May 10, according to Spanish Health Minister Mónica García, who confirmed passengers were transported via small boats and military buses to Tenerife airport without public contact. The MV Hondius departed for the Netherlands on May 11 after evacuations. As of May 11, the World Health Organization reported nine confirmed hantavirus cases linked to the outbreak, including three deaths, with France confirming the latest case involving a passenger who disembarked a day earlier. Health officials, including Dr. Mehmet Oz of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stated the situation was under control. Public health experts, such as Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine, warned that while a wider epidemic is unlikely, the outbreak serves as a warning for increasing zoonotic disease risks. Hotez emphasized that such spillover events are becoming more frequent and severe, signaling potential future health challenges.