90-Second Read: Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship Due to Arrive at Rotterdam Port as Final Destination

Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Ship Due to Arrive at Rotterdam Port as Final Destination FILE PHOTO: The cruise ship MV Hondius, affected by a Hantavirus outbreak, leaves the port of Granadilla de Abona, in Tenerife, Spain, May 11, 2026. The Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship had been carrying around 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries when a cluster of severe respiratory illnesses among passengers ⁠was first reported ⁠to the World Health Organization on May 2. The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, had been stranded off Cape Verde, its intended final destination, earlier this month after authorities barred passengers from going ashore due to the outbreak.

The WHO and the EU asked Spain to manage the evacuation at the Canary Islands, after which the ship departed for Rotterdam with a skeleton crew and two additional medical staff. Hantavirus is primarily spread by ⁠rodents but ⁠can be transmitted between people in ⁠rare cases and after prolonged, close contact. As of May 15, there were 10 WHO reported cases, eight confirmed and two probable, including the three deaths.

British Columbia's government said on ⁠Saturday one Canadian, who had been a passenger on the Hondius, had also tested positive for Hantavirus. The WHO ⁠said on Sunday it was waiting for official updates but that this would make it 11 cases. Track elected officials, research health conditions, and find news you can use in politics, business, health, and education.