90-Second Read: Hantavirus latest: CDC gives update on outbreak linked to cruise ship

CDC officials are responding to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak tied to an Antarctic cruise ship that has left three people dead. As of Wednesday, eight cases were involved, with five confirmed as Hantavirus by laboratory testing. The cruise at the center of the outbreak was the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius luxury cruise ship. This aerial picture shows a general view of the cruise ship MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 3, 2026. On Wednesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said three suspected Hantavirus case patients were evacuated from the ship and on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands.

The ship left Argentina on April 1 for a weekslong polar cruise, with stops scheduled in Antarctica and several isolated islands in the South Atlantic. In 2025, eight countries within the Americas had documented 229 cases and 59 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is fatal in about 35% of people infected, while the death rate for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome varies from 1% to 15% of patients, according to the CDC. The CDC also said it deployed a team of epidemiologists and medical professionals to the Canary Islands, where the M/V Hondius is expected to dock. The team will conduct an exposure risk assessment for each American passenger and provide recommendations for the level of monitoring required.

At this time, the risk to the American public remains extremely low. It's still unclear where the virus originated, but Tedros said Wednesday the overall public health risk remained low. The word Hantavirus refers to a broad family of viruses, with different versions in different countries. Death rates vary by which Hantavirus causes the illness. It comes from contact with rodents or their urine, saliva or feces, particularly when it's inhaled.

An additional CDC team will deploy to Offutt AFB to support public health assessment of returning passengers," the agency continued. Photos shared on social media showed medical teams in protective gear. This is not the next COVID, but it is a serious infectious disease," Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the World Health Organization, told The Associated Press. Most people will never be exposed to this." An infection can quickly become life-threatening. Despite years of research, many questions have yet to be answered, including why it can be mild for some people and severe for others and how antibodies are developed.