A deadly outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus — carried aboard the Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius on a voyage through the South Atlantic — has resulted in American passengers being quarantined or hospitalized in at least two U.S. cities, raising new questions about the country's preparedness for exotic viral threats arriving through international travel hubs.
The outbreak was first reported to the World Health Organization on May 2, 2026, following the identification of a cluster of severe respiratory illness cases among passengers and crew. As of mid-May, the WHO had confirmed 10 laboratory cases, with three deaths, two critically ill patients still hospitalized, and multiple others monitoring for symptoms across at least a dozen countries. The United States, along with Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, and several others, has confirmed its citizens were among those exposed on the vessel.
