90-Second Read: What we know about Hantavirus cases tied to deadly cruise ship outbreak

Health officials have identified at least 11 confirmed or suspected cases of Hantavirus tied to an outbreak on the M/V Hondius cruise ship. Updated on: May 13, 2026 / 8:39 PM EDT / CBS News Health officials around the world are monitoring a deadly Hantavirus outbreak linked to a Dutch-flagged cruise ship. The strain identified in the outbreak on the M/V Hondius cruise ship is called the Andes virus, which is the only known Hantavirus strain to spread person to person. So far, there are at least 11 confirmed or suspected cases connected to the ship, including three deaths.

A Swiss man who disembarked the cruise ship in Saint Helena tested positive for the Andes strain of Hantavirus, according to Swiss health officials and the WHO. A fourth California resident was being monitored after taking an international flight with a cruise passenger later confirmed to have Hantavirus. A WHO official confirmed to CBS News on May 8 that a KLM airline flight attendant, who had come into contact with cruise passengers and was hospitalized in the Netherlands for monitoring, had tested negative for Hantavirus. Here's what to know about the ones confirmed or suspected so far.

Hantaviruses are a family of rare viruses usually passed to humans through contact with contaminated rodent waste or saliva. Because his symptoms were similar to those of other respiratory diseases, Hantavirus was not suspected at the time of his death, and no samples were taken, Tedros said. France's prime minister previously said that one citizen began showing symptoms of Hantavirus during a repatriation flight. The man's wife, who was with him on the cruise, had not shown any symptoms, but was self-isolating as a precaution, the Swiss public health agency said.

Her blood later tested positive for the Andes strain of Hantavirus. Testing confirmed two of them, the ship's doctor and a ship guide, had contracted Hantavirus. The CDC's Brendan Jackson, acting director of the Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, said on May 11 that the passenger who tested positive was tested on the ship before returning to the U.S., and health officials said the person was not experiencing symptoms.