Hantavirus latest: Americans disembark cruise and head home for quarantine
Passengers evacuating from Hantavirus-hit cruise ship
Seventeen Americans are among the 150 people evacuated from the M/V Hondius cruise ship after an outbreak of a strain of Hantavirus as the World Health Organization's head tells the public that the trending virus "is not another COVID-19." The cruise ship is currently anchored off the coast of Spain's Canary Islands.
TENERIFE, Canary Islands - Passengers, including Americans, aboard the cruise ship stricken by a hantavirus outbreak disembarked in the Canary Islands and began flying home Sunday on military and government planes after being escorted ashore by personnel in full protective gear.
Here is what to expect with their return:
RELATED: Hantavirus latest: What’s next for cruise, passengers heading home
Hantavirus latest
WHO explains what's next for cruise with hantavirus outbreak
WHO officials explained on Saturday, May 9, 2026, the evacuation process coming for passengers and some crew onboard the cruise ship with the hantavirus outbreak.
The backstory:
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius anchored outside the island of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands early Sunday. A methodical procedure was in place for evacuating passengers of more than 20 different nationalities and getting them home safely on non-commercial flights.
RELATED: Hantavirus latest: CDC gives update on outbreak linked to cruise ship
By the numbers:
The case count currently stands at:
- 8 cases
- 3 deaths
Americans on cruise with hantavirus outbreak
FILE - A person in a hazmat suit (2R) is escorted to a ambulance from a medical aircraft allegedly carrying some of the passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius believed to be infected with hantavirus, at Schiphol airport near Amsterdam on May 6, 2
Big picture view:
About two dozen Americans were on the ship, including about seven who disembarked last month and 17 who remained on board before evacuating this weekend, the Associated Press reported.
It’s not known where the 17 Americans live.
What's next:
The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, said Americans would first be flown to the University of Nebraska, which has a federally funded quarantine facility, to assess whether they have been in close contact with any symptomatic people and their risk levels for spreading the virus.
After that, he told CNN’s "State of the Union," they will be given the choice of staying in Nebraska or going home, where their conditions would be monitored by state and local health agencies.
They’ll be actively monitored for any symptoms that develop within a period of 42 days since the point of last exposure.
Timeline:
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s Director of Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Management, said Sunday that some strains of the hantavirus can develop symptoms for up to eight weeks after exposure, but the confirmed Andes strain involved in this outbreak develops symptoms within six weeks.
Dig deeper:
Bhattacharya noted the seven Americans who left the cruise earlier have been in the U.S. for roughly two weeks, and they are living across the country.
READ MORE:
- Arizona resident on cruise ship being monitored by health department
- Two NJ residents being monitored after possible Hantavirus exposure
Meanwhile:
The passengers are leaving behind their luggage, and are allowed to take only a small bag with essential items, a cellphone, a charger, and documentation.
About 30 crew members will stay aboard the ship as it sails back to its origination in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where it will undergo disinfection.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from The Associated Press and Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, who gave remarks at WHO press conferences on Saturday and Sunday, May 9-10, 2026. Background information was used from previous FOX Television Station reporting. This story was reported from Detroit.