Hantavirus: Should I Be Concerned?
- May 4
- 7 min read
Updated: May 16
Solving the Mystery of the Hantavirus Voyage
The Ever-Changing Facts and Figures...The Mystery Unfolds
May 12, 2026 - Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported the death of three passengers who contracted the Andes hantavirus while traveling on a cruise ship. A couple of days ago, it was reported that an additional five people on the cruise had come down with the virus as well (one of whom was medevaced due to their critical condition). Today (5/13), they are reporting that 11 passengers have been diagnosed with this.
Determining the source of this illness has been painstaking, but great strides have been made in identifying the cause of this potentially severe, sometimes fatal, illness. With the help of the WHO, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) now has extensive information regarding this hantavirus.
Because of the evolving nature of research and protocols, the caution surrounding the dissemination of information, the sensational nature of this problem, and the touchy nature of a potential epidemic (a very remote possibility), sources share many conflicting details, making it difficult to verify the information. Much of the following information is from the CDC and the WHO.
In the United States, hantavirus (Sin Nombre virus, or SNV) is typically contracted through exposure to rodent urine, feces, or saliva, or by contact with rodent-infected surfaces. At this point, in the United States, the cases we hear about are contracted in this manner. In the US, hantavirus is not spread through person-to-person contact. In South America, a rare hantavirus species, the Andes virus (hantavirus), has some, but limited, person‑to‑person transmission in close-contact settings. This species is typically found in Argentina and Chile. The cruise ship traveled from Ushuaia, Argentina, across the South Atlantic, with plans to stop at mainland Antarctica, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena, and Ascension Island. It is still not clear where this illness originated.
The History of the MV Hondius and Andes Hantavirus
April 1, 2026: the ship MV Hondius (mentioned above) left Argentina and was en route to West Africa and the South Atlantic. On April 6, some passengers began to become ill. One of those people rapidly became ill and passed away after five days. Of those who became ill, three were medically evacuated to St. Helena, two of whom passed away, and the spouse of the first fatality. At that point, samples sent to WHO revealed the cause to be the hantavirus species, the Andes virus.
So, where are the passengers now? Let's try to track this down:
According to the WHO, the ship was carrying 147 people from 23 different countries. This total includes all passengers and crew at the start of the voyage.
April 6 - The first person on the ship presents with symptoms
April 14/15 - Six passengers board the vessel as guides from one of the ports - the remote island of Tristan da Cunha (there have reportedly never been any hantavirus cases there). One person disembarks ON the island of Tristan da Cunha.
April 21 - The first symptomatic person passes away.
April 24 - Medical personnel from St Helena boarded the ship in full personal protective equipment (PPE) to investigate the illness. Three passengers - two of whom were ill at the time - disembarked on the island of St. Helena. Two of these people ended up passing away, and the other one went home to Argentina, developing the illness in late April.
We learned today (5/12) that 34 people who were scheduled to disembark at St Helena reportedly disembarked early on the 24th. Later that day, medical personnel wearing PPE (before it was discovered as the Andes virus). They traveled back to their home countries, although the public has not been told what countries those are. They have reportedly been able to contact these 34 people; none are symptomatic, and they are monitoring and conducting contact tracing.
April 27 - Second death of a passenger who was taken to St Helena on April 24. Another critical case was airlifted to Johannesburg, South Africa.
May 2 - First confirmed diagnosis of the Andes virus is made in Johannesburg. WHO is notified.
May 3 and 4 - Once again, medical personnel, wearing full PPE, boarded the ship to evaluate the illness. Two more very ill passengers were airlifted to hospitals - One in Spain and the other in Portugal. 3rd passenger evacuated to St Helena and sent to South Africa, passes away.
May 7 - WHO publicly announces the cause of the illness is Andes hantavirus.
May 9, European parachutists with medical supplies dropped onto the remote island of Tristan da Cunha to test and treat a resident there for suspected Andes hantavirus. This is the person who left the ship on April 13-15)
May 10 - In the meantime, it was reported that, while medical personnel were allowed on the ship wearing personal protective equipment, no one else was allowed on board.
So, who left the boat after the illness began?
After leaving Argentina, the only place passengers went ashore before the first illness was recognized was an uninhabited Antarctic landing site. The only people who left the ship after the first illness were the one mentioned above from Tristan da Cunha and the 34 people who got off in St Helena. After that, no tourist passengers were allowed to disembark at any other ports.
May 8-10: The rest of the passengers (including the ship's doctor, who also became ill with the virus) began disembarking at Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, under strict precautions, testing and monitoring. The passengers from the United States reportedly went directly to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, and then 16 went on to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska. One is in a containment unit and the other 15 are on a quarantine unit. Others have been transported to specialty infectious disease hospitals in Georgia (2), Texas (2), California (1+), and Virginia (1+).
May 16: Updated report - Updated - 10 cases (8 confirmed and 2 suspected). 41 people in the US and 85 globally are being closely monitored for exposure to the virus.
Looking back: Luckily, this was an isolated outbreak on a ship. Once the nature of the virus was determined in early April, the WHO was on top of it, and the passengers and crew remained on board the vessel under cabin isolation with ongoing medical monitoring.
Where Did All of the Confirmed and Suspected Cases of the Andes Virus Go?
Extreme care is being taken to contain the spread of this disease. When the WHO released its report on the discovery of the Andes hantavirus, repatriation of sick passengers began (between May 5 and 7th): They were returned to their own countries. Travelers from the United States left under medical transport protocols. They have been DIRECTLY admitted to various hospitals and under surveillance for up to 42 days (depending on the case). They will continue to undergo further evaluation and testing, as well as monitoring and supportive care, and remain under isolation precautions.
Hantavirus, due to rodent exposure, has even been uncommon in the US, with no significant year-to-year increases. To read more and view a CDC map of hantavirus cases in the US (1993-2023), click here.
What are the Symptoms of Hantavirus?
Hantavirus typically begins with fever, chills, muscle aches, and a headache. Some people also develop nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or diarrhea. As the disease progresses, a person can rapidly develop Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS): Coughing, shortness of breath, pneumonia, heart rhythm problems, low blood pressure, and shock. Symptoms of hantavirus tend to progress rapidly and are not consistent with those of flu or other cold viruses. In fact, hantavirus would be difficult to detect unless there was known exposure to rodents or others with the disease. As with many illnesses, regardless of diagnosis, if symptoms worsen in severity, it is imperative to seek medical attention.
According to the CDC, the incubation period for Andes hantavirus is 4 to 42 days.
What Can You Do to Avoid It?
As mentioned above, hantavirus is usually caused by rodent activity, and this is the main concern regarding hantavirus in the US.
Avoid contact with rodents, their urine, droppings, saliva, or aerosol particles from contaminated dust.
Wear gloves and an N95 mask when working in an area where rodents may have been.
Avoid stirring up dust in an area where rodents have been
Avoid stirring up rodent nests, such as wood piles, storage boxes, old sheds, barns, and crawl spaces.
What is the Treatment of Hantavirus?
There are currently no antiviral medications or immunizations against hantavirus. A person is treated symptomatically until they recover. According to the CDC, fatality rates are bout 38%.
If it is any consolation, data dating to 2023 from the World Health Organization and the CDC show no global increase in hantavirus cases. In the US, hantavirus infections remain rare, sporadic, and tied to localized rodent exposure rather than widespread transmission.
The Hantavirus Scare: Should You be Concerned?
What International precautions are being taken to be sure this does not spread?
Currently, WHO considers this virus contained but active; the global risk is low. WHO has informed countries of this outbreak. Like many other countries, the US has been informed and is carrying out CDC outbreak protocols, which include:
Monitoring for returning travelers with compatible symptoms
Alerting clinicians to watch for severe respiratory illness with travel history
Coordinating with state health departments (especially ports of entry)
Ensuring diagnostic capacity for hantavirus testing.
Contact tracing
Additionally, medical personnel who have been exposed to these travelers are being monitored and, in some cases, quarantined when deemed necessary.
Because this occurred in a contained environment (an isolated ship) and because great containment precautions have been and are being taken, there appears to be little to worry about with the Andes hantavirus (ANDV) in the US at this point. Clearly, containment of these things isn't an accident. It is through the team efforts of researchers and medical personnel.
According to the US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, "We have this under control, and we're not worried about it." And Donald Trump apparently told a reporter, "I think we are in very good shape...We are very careful."
Who knows what the future has in store for us?
