90-Second Read: Hantavirus has not mutated to be more transmissible: WHO

Officials with the World Health Organization say genetic sequencing has not revealed major changes to the Andes Hantavirus. The cruise ship MV Hondius, which had three passengers die from Hantavirus last month and eight more reported cases, arrived on Sunday May 10 in Tenerife, where the remaining passengers will be repatriated to their respective countries. That news comes amid fears of a broader outbreak of the Andes Hantavirus, which has no cure and can be fatal.

At a press conference this week, representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized the outbreak of this rare virus did not constitute a pandemic, but it has stirred anxieties in the Canary Islands and elsewhere. Following an outbreak on a cruise ship, which killed three people, other passengers who have disembarked the ship are being monitored and quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus. WHO officials said quarantines and monitoring are being done out of an abundance of caution to prevent the spread of the Andes Hantavirus, which can be transmitted between people.

So we are taking a precautionary approach, assuming that there might be additional cases that were on board, which is why the quarantine measures are so strict for those who have left the ship already. The WHO recommends that those who were on the ship quarantine for 42 days to avoid potentially spreading Hantavirus. TENERIFE, SPAIN, MAY 10: Passengers carry their belongings in plastic bags after being evacuated from the MV Hondius after docking in the Granadilla Port on May 10, 2026 in Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands, Spain.