Health authorities across multiple countries are monitoring cruise passengers for hantavirus after several infections linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius triggered an international public health response.
According to the World Health Organization, five confirmed hantavirus cases have been identified among passengers connected to the vessel. Three people, including a Dutch couple and a German national, have died since the ship departed Argentina last month.
The United States was on Thursday among the countries urgently tracking dozens of passengers who traveled on the cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak. https://t.co/wWuMcoVMYL
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) May 7, 2026
The report said passengers from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Switzerland, and the Netherlands are now being tested, treated, or monitored for possible exposure. More than 140 people remain aboard the ship under strict precautionary measures.
WHO officials said the outbreak is linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can spread through close human contact in rare cases. Authorities believe some passengers may have been exposed during travel in South America before boarding the cruise.
The WHO stressed that it does not expect a global outbreak similar to Covid-19.
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