Hantavirus Tracker

An Andes hantavirus cluster tied to the MV Hondius expedition ship — now associated with 11 cases and three deaths across multiple countries — is the dominant development, triggering international evacuations, repatriations, and quarantine of exposed healthcare workers while WHO and PAHO coordinate the response.

Sources concur on the multinational outbreak and the need for heightened surveillance but disagree on the exact number of Andes confirmations (eight versus nine reported), reflecting tension between WHO’s assessment of low overall public risk and the virus’ capacity for limited person‑to‑person spread and long incubation.

Watch for further case confirmations, contact‑tracing outcomes and lab‑safety investigations (including the Radboud quarantine), changes in cruise cleaning and traveler guidance, and how these evolve alongside the CDC’s longer‑term HPS context (883 U. S.

cases since 1993).

Tracking: hantavirus

Geography: United States (Four Corners region, Southwestern states), Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, China, Korea, Russia, Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Finland), Balkans/parts of Europe, rural and peri-urban areas, occupational sites (farms, fieldwork, construction)

1. Andes hantavirus case confirmed in B.C.; MV Hondius outbreak reaches 11 cases

An Andes hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius expedition ship has produced 11 cases and three deaths, with international evacuations and repatriations underway and the ship docking in Rotterdam.

Canada confirmed its first Andes strain case in British Columbia: a repatriated passenger isolating on Vancouver Island tested positive and is in stable condition at Victoria General Hospital; their partner is symptomatic but tested negative.

Authorities report nine of the cases confirmed as Andes in one update, while another source listed eight confirmed — a discrepancy not reconciled in reports.

Radboud University Medical Center quarantined 12 staff after improper handling of patient fluids, a French evacuee remains in intensive care in stable condition, and WHO warns the virus' long incubation means more cases may appear; officials nevertheless stress public health risk is low and human-to-human spread is rare.

Key facts:

- WHO reports 11 cases linked to MV Hondius, including three deaths.

- One source reports nine of 11 cases confirmed as Andes; another reports eight confirmed.

- Canada recorded its first Andes strain case in British Columbia; patient stable.

- Four Canadians were repatriated; one tested positive after presumptive status.

- MV Hondius has docked in Rotterdam and will be cleaned and disinfected.

Why it matters: This incident stresses cross-border public health coordination, cruise-sector quarantine planning, and laboratory biosafety; operational gaps can expand exposures and force staff quarantines.

Given Andes' long incubation and documented but rare human-to-human spread, authorities, hospitals, and cruise operators should prioritize extended contact tracing, strict biosafety when handling specimens, and monitoring for additional cases in the coming weeks.

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2. Hantavirus cluster from MV Hondius cruise: 11 cases, three deaths

WHO and PAHO issued alerts after a multinational hantavirus cluster tied to cruise travel to Argentina and Chile; the MV Hondius cluster includes 11 confirmed cases, three deaths, and nine cases confirmed as Andes virus, with 147 passengers and crew from more than 20 countries under monitoring.

Passengers evacuated to Tenerife were flown home escorted in full protective gear and sprayed with disinfectant, and WHO emphasizes HPS's 30–40% case fatality rate.

PAHO notes rising HPS in the Americas—Argentina reported 134 confirmed cases in 2024 and Chile 62—and identifies Andes virus as the primary South American agent, which can transmit person-to-person.

Both agencies recommend strengthened surveillance, laboratory capacity, public awareness, traveler precautions against rodent exposure, and enhanced cleaning by cruise operators.

Key facts:

- 11 confirmed hantavirus cases linked to MV Hondius cruise

- 3 deaths among MV Hondius confirmed cases

- Nine MV Hondius cases confirmed as Andes virus

- 147 passengers and crew under monitoring from over 20 countries

- Passengers evacuated to Tenerife, flown home escorted in protective gear

Why it matters: The incident is an international coordination challenge that strains contact tracing and diagnostic capacity across multiple countries, consistent with PAHO and WHO calls to bolster surveillance and laboratories.

Andes virus's known potential for person-to-person transmission heightens clinical and public health risk, while cruise operators and travel medicine providers face immediate operational and reputational impacts; watch for additional exported cases and pending laboratory confirmations.

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3. Multi‑country hantavirus cluster linked to cruise ship: 11 cases, three deaths

In May 2026 WHO was notified of a multi‑country cluster of hantavirus infections linked to an expedition cruise ship; as of 13 May there were 11 cases and three deaths associated with Andes virus, a strain capable of limited human‑to‑human transmission through close contact.

Hantaviruses are rodent‑borne viruses that can cause severe disease in humans and, in the Americas, hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome.

WHO is coordinating the international response under the International Health Regulations (2005), providing information sharing, contact‑tracing support and ongoing risk assessment while assessing overall public risk as low.

WHO convened a webinar on 20 May 2026 (13:00–14:00 CEST) to brief health authorities and share country experiences, surveillance approaches, and behavioural insights.

Speakers include Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Dr Diana Rojas Alvarez, Dr Boris Pavlin, Spain's Dr Javier Padilla Bernáldez and Prof Richard Amlot; topics listed span surveillance, community protection and public communication.

The event highlights WHO's priority on preparedness, surveillance and clear risk communication for managing spillover and limited transmission events.

Key facts:

- 11 hantavirus cases reported as of 13 May 2026

- Three deaths among those cases as of 13 May 2026

- Cluster linked to an expedition cruise ship

- Andes virus implicated; can transmit between humans by close contact

- Hantaviruses are rodent‑borne and can cause severe human disease

Why it matters: The cluster shows how rodent‑borne hantaviruses can seed multi‑country events and, for Andes virus, how limited human‑to‑human spread raises investigation urgency.

WHO's coordination and webinar are aimed at strengthening surveillance, contact tracing and risk communication — actions that benefit public health authorities, clinicians, and communities and reduce the chance of wider spread.

Downstream implications include intensified case finding, laboratory confirmation, and clearer public messaging; critical near‑term signals to watch are additional case counts, contact‑tracing outcomes, and any evidence of sustained human transmission.

World Health Organization

4. CDC reports 883 cumulative HPS cases since 1993

The CDC updated hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) surveillance, reporting 883 cumulative U. S.

cases across 36 states since the first recognized cluster in the Four Corners region in 1993.

The Sin Nombre virus remains the primary cause in North America, with most cases occurring in rural western states; New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and California report the highest numbers.

HPS carries an approximate 36% case fatality rate and there is no specific treatment or licensed vaccine, making prevention the central intervention; early recognition and prompt supportive care in intensive care settings can improve outcomes.

The CDC recommends sealing holes to prevent rodent entry, reducing rodent populations with traps, and safely cleaning rodent droppings while using proper respiratory protection.

Key facts:

- CDC reported 883 cumulative HPS cases in United States since 1993.

- HPS cases reported across 36 states.

- First recognized cluster occurred in the Four Corners region in 1993.

- Sin Nombre virus is the primary North American HPS cause.

- Most cases occur in rural western United States.

Why it matters: With a high case fatality rate and no specific treatment or vaccine, prevention is the main public-health lever; this places responsibility on rural communities, public-health departments, and healthcare systems to implement CDC rodent-control and safe-cleanup guidance and maintain ICU readiness.

Watch whether states with the highest reported counts adopt and communicate those measures effectively, and monitor surveillance reports for sustained or shifting geographic patterns.

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