What we know about the MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]If you're like me, you probably didn't know much about hantavirus when we first heard about the cruise ship outbreak. I wanted to know how it spreads and if we're in danger.

[00:00:07]>> I want to reiterate again, this is not the start of an epidemic. This is not the start of a pandemic.

[00:00:12]>> So, let's talk about what we do know.

[00:00:14]There are 11 total hantavirus cases, including at least nine confirmed [music] and three deaths associated with this outbreak, authorities say. More than 120 passengers and crew members disembarked from the ship and flew back to their home [music] countries after the ship stopped at the Canary Islands this past weekend. About two dozen Americans were on the ship when the voyage started. Several of them left the ship [music] last month. 18 Americans disembarked this past weekend, and one of them tested positive. 16 are at a quarantine and biocontainment facility in [music] Nebraska. Two are at a biocontainment unit in Atlanta.

[00:00:45]>> Good morning, everyone. It is my second day here at the national quarantine unit [music] in Omaha, Nebraska. Here's my thermometer for temperature check checks during the day. I'm feeling well.

[00:00:56]>> There is no cure or vaccine for hantavirus. Hantavirus [music] usually spreads by inhaling contaminated rodent droppings, and the germs do not easily spread between people. But, Andes virus, a member of the hantavirus family found in South America and the cause of this outbreak, may spread between people in rare cases. It's believed a Dutch couple may have first contracted the virus while traveling across Argentina and neighboring South American countries before boarding the cruise [music] ship.

[00:01:20]That couple is among the three deaths.

[00:01:22]Symptoms usually show between 1 to 8 [music] weeks after exposure. They can include fevers, chills, and muscle aches.