90-Second Read: Taking a Cruise This Summer? Here’s Why You Don’t Need to Worry About Hantavirus

Experts explain why the Hantavirus outbreak that started on the M/V Hondius cruise ship isn Yes, it's a serious disease. There's no such thing as bad publicity…except when it comes to Hantavirus. While there aren't any antiviral meds for Hantavirus, doctors can provide supportive care with IV fluids, breathing assistance, and in extreme cases, ECMO machines can be used to artificially pump and oxygenate a person's blood.

Then a deadly outbreak aboard the cruise ship M/V Hondius this spring, plus some false alarms in Illinois and the Netherlands, put it back on the front page. CDC data shows that there have been a total of 890 cases in the U.S. between 1993 (when tracking of the virus first began) and 2023. Particularly if you have plans to take a cruise this summer.

The outbreak on the M/V Hondius is an exceptionally unique circumstance, not something you would typically expect from a cruise. Public health experts around the world are working hard to contain this outbreak, and although a few more cases may develop in the next few weeks, "there's likely not going to be a widespread threat in any community." Cue a big sigh of relief. And unfortunately, that's the one that broke out on the M/V Hondius ship, infecting 11 people so far and killing three.