Image Credits: Image Title: Five U.S. States Monitoring Former Passengers From Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship. Source: (chatgpt.com) Date: May 2026. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (chatgpt.com) by Open Chronicle and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle with agencies
Health authorities across at least five U.S. states are monitoring former passengers from the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius following a hantavirus outbreak linked to the vessel, as the ship continues its journey toward Spain’s Canary Islands with dozens of passengers still aboard.
According to the World Health Organization, two laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases and five suspected infections have been identified among passengers and crew members. The outbreak has resulted in three deaths and left one individual critically ill.
The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was sailing on Friday from Cape Verde toward the Canary Islands with around 150 people on board, including approximately 90 passengers and crew members.
U.S. States Begin Monitoring Returned Travelers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified health authorities in Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia about residents who were aboard the vessel.
Officials said the monitored individuals are not currently showing symptoms of hantavirus.
The Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed that one Arizona resident had traveled on the ship. Georgia authorities said they are monitoring two residents who returned after disembarking from the vessel.
Texas officials reported that two former passengers are being observed, while Virginia health authorities confirmed that one resident remains under public health monitoring and is in good condition.
California officials acknowledged receiving notification from the CDC but did not disclose the number of residents involved.
Outbreak Timeline Raises Questions
The first known passenger reportedly became ill on April 6 and died on April 11, but the outbreak was not publicly identified until May 2.
By that point, around 30 individuals, including the body of one deceased passenger, had already disembarked at Saint Helena during the ship’s voyage.
Oceanwide Expeditions stated that six Americans were among those who left the vessel there, though discrepancies remain between that figure and the number of passengers now being monitored by U.S. health agencies.
Growing Concerns for Americans Still On Board
Attention has now shifted toward the 17 Americans who remain aboard the ship as it heads toward Spain.
Janelle Bynum called on the Trump administration to take immediate action to assist and repatriate American citizens still on the vessel.
In a letter addressed to Marco Rubio and acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya, Bynum described conditions aboard the ship as “deeply alarming.”
She questioned whether sufficient federal measures had been taken to provide medical support and evacuation plans for the Americans still at sea.
“The families of these Americans deserve answers. The Americans on board deserve action,” Bynum wrote.
WHO Says Wider Risk Remains Low
Despite concerns surrounding the outbreak, the WHO has continued to stress that hantavirus does not spread easily between people and that the broader public risk remains low.
The virus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents or their waste products, although the Andes strain circulating in South America is one of the few known variants capable of limited human-to-human transmission through prolonged close contact.
Health officials continue to monitor passengers and crew while the ship proceeds toward Europe under enhanced medical observation.