90-Second Read: The cruise ship at center of a deadly Hantavirus outbreak has to undergo extra cleaning

A cruise ship at the center of a deadly Hantavirus outbreak is undergoing further cleaning before it returns to its home port. In a message posted Sunday on X, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said so far, 12 Hantavirus cases and three deaths have been reported to the organization, with no deaths reported since May 2. The risk to the general public from the cruise ship outbreak is low, according to public health officials.

A crew in protective gear works on the MV Hondius cruise ship after its arrival at the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands, Monday, May 18, 2026. In a written statement, Oceanwide Expeditions said the extra work is being carried out on the advice of the GGD local health authority in the port city of Rotterdam, where the vessel returned early last week. Hantaviruses usually spread when people inhale contaminated residue of rodent droppings.

But the Hantavirus that has caused the current outbreak, called the Andes virus, may be able to spread between people in rare cases. The ship had an Arctic cruise setting sail from Keflavik, Iceland, on May 29. It's home port is in nearby Vlissingen in the southern Netherlands.