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Amara Mensah
Amara brings a thoughtful narrative style to complex public updates.
Articles using this voice
108 90-Second Reads currently use this editorial voice.
Nebraska Public Media
90-Second Read: ‘No room for error': UNMC reflects as quarantine ends for Hantavirus cruise ship passengers
Jun 23, 1:54 PM EDT
Eighteen American passengers from a cruise ship that saw a Hantavirus outbreak arrived at the University of Nebraska Medical Center on May 11. After 42 days in quarantine, the last of the Hantavirus cruise ship passengers have gone home. But symptoms of Hantavirus can take up to 42 days to appear, so all passengers were "strongly encouraged" to stay through June 21. Their quarantine in Omaha was part of a nationally coordinated effort to assess, contain and treat any potential infections.
RNZ
90-Second Read: Crosswords, novels and Netflix: What life's like in Hantavirus quarantine
Jun 23, 12:26 AM EDT
Crosswords, novels and Netflix have helped keep boredom at bay for a New Zealander and five Australians at a Hantavirus quarantine facility. The group left the Perth venue at 3.45 am on Tuesday after staying there for six weeks because of an outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius. One passenger, Australian Peter Marsh, told ABC, the quarantine was worthwhile to help keep people from getting sick but said he could not wait to hug his wife and see his children and grandchildren.
Yahoo News UK
90-Second Read: Quarantine ends for all 18 Americans exposed to Hantavirus on cruise ship
Jun 22, 5:12 PM EDT
Quarantine has ended for the 18 Americans who were cruise ship passengers on the MV Hondius and were exposed to Hantavirus more than one month ago. What parents should know about talking to kids about Hantavirus As of May 27, there have been a total of 13 cases of Hantavirus -- 11 confirmed and two probable -- and three deaths, of which two have been confirmed, according to the WHO. The working hypothesis behind the cluster is that the first case acquired Hantavirus while on land, before boarding the cruise ship, the WHO said.
Yahoo News Australia
90-Second Read: Major update for Hantavirus passengers
Jun 22, 4:49 PM EDT
Five Australians and one New Zealander were holed up in the quarantine facility for 42 days after being on-board a cruise ship exposed to the deadly Hantavirus. The cruise ship was exposed to a Hantavirus outbreak, which killed three people and infected 11 others. The six passengers were transported to the Bullsbrook quarantine base for 42 days, which Health Minister Mark Butler said was the "strongest" reaction in the world.
Business Day
90-Second Read: Hantavirus incident highlights hidden risks in shipping delays
Jun 21, 11:02 AM EDT
While the Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius was ultimately contained, insurance specialists said it shows that health-related restrictions, inspections and quarantine measures can quickly escalate into broader operational challenges for ports and supply chains. The risk is particularly relevant for industries handling time-sensitive goods such as agricultural produce, pharmaceuticals and critical industrial inputs, where delays can have financial consequences even when cargo remains undamaged. The incident also highlighted a broader shift in supply-chain risk.
The Guardian
90-Second Read: ‘It’s not science, it’s coercion’: health experts decry RFK Jr order on Hantavirus quarantine
Jun 20, 7:00 AM EDT
This incident could become "really damaging" for public health, particularly as the Ebola outbreak rages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and cases could arise in the US, said Hodge. Angela Perryman, an American passenger on the MV Hondius cruise ship, came into contact with another passenger who was sickened by Andes virus, a type of Hantavirus. But on 15 June, Robert F Kennedy Jr, secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), overrode that conclusion and continued the mandatory quarantine. The mandatory quarantine, reimposed without an offering scientific evidence, reveals how the US might approach future cases of Ebola and other pathogens in the US, and sets a precedent for detaining Americans with no scientific rationale.
Pakistan Today
90-Second Read: What the world learned from the Hantavirus cruise ship scare
Jun 19, 9:32 AM EDT
The Hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius appears to be ending after no new cases were reported for more than three weeks. Capital City: The Hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius is nearing its end, with the last remaining passengers in quarantine set to be released in the coming days, according to the World Health Organisation and national health authorities. The number of infections linked to the ship was small compared with the tens of thousands of Hantavirus cases recorded around the world each year. The Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius appears to be over, but experts say it exposed gaps in knowledge about transmission and infectiousness.
thetraveler.org
90-Second Read: Hantavirus Cruise Outbreak Triggers Global Travel Alarm
Jun 19, 9:26 AM EDT
A deadly Hantavirus cluster aboard an expedition cruise ship is forcing quarantines, biocontainment transfers, and new questions about safety in high-end adventure travel. Passengers and crew originated from more than 20 countries, transforming what began as a niche wildlife cruise into a complex, multi-jurisdictional outbreak investigation spread across several continents. Even if case numbers remain small, the combination of global mobility, specialized tourism, and advanced biocontainment measures has created a new template for what a high-stakes, travel-linked outbreak looks like in 2026. According to situation summaries from global health agencies, at least a dozen confirmed and probable cases, including multiple deaths and critical illnesses, have now been linked to the voyage.
The Journal
90-Second Read: Quarantine over for almost all Hantavirus ship passengers and crew
Jun 18, 5:05 PM EDT
ALMOST ALL THE passengers and crew of the cruise ship hit by a deadly Hantavirus outbreak who had to quarantine in the Netherlands are now allowed to return home, the WHO chief said Thursday. And on 8 June, St Helena, where many passengers disembarked, announced the conclusion of the Hantavirus major incident declared on the remote British island, home to around 4,400 close-knit people. The Andes species behind the Hondius outbreak is the only strain of Hantavirus known to be able to jump from human-to-human. There were 12 confirmed and one probable case stemming from the MV Hondius, including three deaths.
Yahoo
90-Second Read: Quarantine over for almost all Hantavirus ship passengers, crew
Jun 18, 4:48 PM EDT
Almost all the passengers and crew of the cruise ship hit by a deadly Hantavirus outbreak who had to quarantine in the Netherlands are now allowed to return home, the WHO chief said Thursday. And on June 8, St Helena, where many passengers disembarked, announced the conclusion of the Hantavirus major incident declared on the remote British island, home to around 4,400 close-knit people. The Andes species behind the Hondius outbreak is the only strain of Hantavirus known to be able to jump from human-to-human.
Travel Wires
90-Second Read: KLM Confirms Hantavirus Patient Was Briefly on Board JNB Flight
Jun 17, 7:53 AM EDT
KLM has confirmed that one of the Dutch nationals who died from Hantavirus was briefly on board a KLM aircraft in Johannesburg on April 25, 2026, before being removed by the crew due to their medical condition. The passenger boarded flight KL592, also operated as a codeshare under AF8282, DL9560, and SK6855, scheduled to depart Johannesburg for Amsterdam at 11:15 p.m. As a precautionary measure, Dutch public health authority GGD Kennemerland is contacting all passengers who were on board the flight to inform them of the situation.
Baird Maritime
90-Second Read: Hantavirus-hit cruise ship set to resume voyages after disinfection
Jun 11, 2:38 PM EDT
The Rotterdam-Rijnmond Public Health Service, known as the GGD, completed a final inspection on May 29 and officially authorised the vessel to return to service on May 30. Before initiating the biosecurity response, the cruise company collaborated with public health bodies, maritime regulators, and port stakeholders to establish a controlled treatment plan. According to Oceanwide Expeditions, medical and epidemiological findings showed that the Hantavirus was introduced before passengers embarked and did not originate from onboard operations.
The Saturday Paper
90-Second Read: Is Australia prepared for Ebola and Hantavirus?
Jun 5, 10:00 AM EDT
The outbreaks of Ebola and Hantavirus highlight the challenges of waning global cooperation on health, and what Australia must do to prepare. The severity of their impact depends on how well these Ebola and Hantavirus outbreaks can be contained. The recent epidemic of the Andes strain of Hantavirus, which can spread from person to person, on board the Hondius highlights lessons from the Diamond Princess and Ruby Princess outbreaks of Covid-19. Australia's first case of the H5N1 bird flu was a child who had caught the infection overseas.
Outside Magazine
90-Second Read: I Was on the Deadly Hantavirus Cruise. Now I'm One of 18 People in Quarantine.
Jun 5, 3:12 AM EDT
Travel influencer Jake Rosmarin talks to Outside about his quarantine experience after being aboard the Hantavirus cruise, aka MV Hondius. Things got really scary when we learned that the cause of these sudden deaths and serious illnesses could be due to the Andes Hantavirus. It's also the only form of the deadly Hantavirus that's transmitted between humans and has a mortality rate of up to 50 percent, making it deadlier than COVID-19.
Forbes
90-Second Read: Sin Nombre Hantavirus Strain Kills One In Arizona
Jun 3, 10:05 AM EDT
Everything to know about the Sin Nombre strain of Hantavirus, from mortality rate to how it spreads. An Arizona resident has died from a case of Hantavirus, state health officials announced this week, specifically of a strain named Sin Nombre that is just as deadly as the Andes strain that made headlines this year for killing multiple people in a cruise ship outbreak. That's how many Hantavirus cases were reported in the United States from 1993 to the end of 2023, the latest CDC data available. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is the most common Hantavirus syndrome found in the Western Hemisphere and is caused by the type of so-called "New World Hantaviruses" most often seen in the U.S., including the Sin Nombre variant.
Travel Noire
90-Second Read: MV Hondius To Resume Sailing 34 Days After Hantavirus Outbreak Passengers Disembarked
Jun 2, 5:49 PM EDT
MV Hondius will resume sailing on June 13 after a Hantavirus outbreak linked to 13 cases and 3 deaths prompted public health measures. MV Hondius, the Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak, is scheduled to resume passenger operations on June 13, 34 days after passengers and crew who were on board during the outbreak disembarked in Tenerife, Spain. Oceanwide Expeditions said MV Hondius arrived in Rotterdam after the outbreak disrupted the ship's itinerary and prompted public health measures for passengers and crew. MV Hondius is set to sail again after a deadly Hantavirus outbreak prompted canceled voyages and additional cleaning.
NewsNation
90-Second Read: Five MV Hondius passengers leave Hantavirus quarantine in Nebraska
Jun 2, 3:49 PM EDT
Arizona, California, New York and Oregon have all agreed to accept those returning from the Nebraska quarantine facility. The passengers were given the permission to leave under the condition that they stay home, according to NBC News. As of May 27, there were 13 Hantavirus cases linked to the ship worldwide, with 11 cases confirmed, the CDC said.
The New York Times
90-Second Read: 5 People Leave Hantavirus Quarantine in Omaha
Jun 1, 9:06 PM EDT
Five Americans who had been quarantining at a medical facility in Omaha for possible Hantavirus exposure returned to their home states on Monday, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. That was a condition that federal officials had put in place before anyone was allowed to leave the facility, the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The 18 passengers were among a group of Americans on a cruise ship that became the center of a global Hantavirus outbreak last month.
RNZ
90-Second Read: Some Hantavirus-exposed cruise ship passengers return home to US to finish quarantine
Jun 1, 8:46 PM EDT
Several Americans exposed to a rare strain of Hantavirus on board a cruise ship have returned home to finish their mandatory six-week quarantine. Both passengers have agreed and are required to remain at their residences, have no contact with other people, and participate in daily monitoring activities conducted by local health officials. Copyright © 2026, Radio New Zealand Six people, including one New Zealand citizen, who were on a cruise ship that was hit by the outbreak have had their quarantine period in Western Australia extended. Five passengers have been released from the National Quarantine Unit, which is overseen by the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
CNN
90-Second Read: Some Hantavirus-exposed cruise ship passengers return home to finish quarantine
Jun 1, 8:10 PM EDT
Several Americans who were exposed to a rare strain of Hantavirus on board a cruise ship this spring have returned home to finish the second half of their mandatory six-week quarantine. Hantavirus-exposed cruise passengers may soon be allowed to return home but must remain under 24/7 watch The CDC urged the public to avoid stigma directed at the people being monitored. Both passengers have agreed and are required to remain at their residences, have no contact with other people, and participate in daily monitoring activities conducted by local health officials. Five passengers have been released from the National Quarantine Unit, which is overseen by the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Gothamist
90-Second Read: 2 people exposed to Hantavirus have returned to New York state
Jun 1, 4:09 PM EDT
The two people will complete a 42-day monitoring and quarantine period at personal residences outside New York City, according to health officials. Donate today Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations Two people exposed to Hantavirus have returned to New York state, the city's health department said Monday. Three people tied to the outbreak died after contracting the virus, according to previous reporting.
Scripps News
90-Second Read: Cruise passengers isolated after Hantavirus outbreak allowed to leave quarantine facility
Jun 1, 12:02 PM EDT
Americans who were aboard a cruise ship linked to a Hantavirus outbreak will be allowed to leave isolation Monday after spending three weeks in a quarantine facility in Nebraska. RELATED STORY | Doctor moved out of biocontainment unit after being cleared of Hantavirus Some passengers may choose to remain at the facility longer. The passengers were isolated after disembarking from the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, which was anchored in the Canary Islands after the outbreak was identified.
DutchNews.nl
90-Second Read: Hantavirus cruise ship passed to resume sailing after deep clean
Jun 1, 8:47 AM EDT
A couple from the Dutch province of Friesland died of Hantavirus after they boarded the ship in Argentina on April 1 for a South Atlantic cruise. A total of 13 people connected with the cruise have either tested positive or are suspected of having contracted the Andes variant of Hantavirus, which is mainly transmitted by rodents but can be passed from person to person in close-contact situations. The local health authority (GGD) gave the ship a clean bill of health on Saturday, allowing it to travel to Longyearbyen, on the Arctic island of Svalbard, later this week after undergoing routine maintenance. The MV Hondius was kept in the port for additional cleaning after the last of its crew members disembarked last week.
The Independent
90-Second Read: Hantavirus cruise ship to resume sailing after deadly outbreak
Jun 1, 7:55 AM EDT
The cruise ship involved in the deadly Hantavirus outbreak has been cleared to set sail from later this month. The expedition cruise operator added: "No further disruption to the sailing schedule of m/v Hondius is expected." In April, MV Hondius was on a sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde when it was hit by a severe outbreak of Hantavirus. Three deaths and 13 confirmed cases have been linked to the outbreak since the rodent-borne illness was first reported. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.
Khaleej Times
90-Second Read: Ebola, Hantavirus: UAE residents urged to follow travel advisories amid global outbreaks
May 31, 10:00 PM EDT
The advice comes as global health authorities continue monitoring outbreaks and health alerts in different parts of the world, including Ebola and Hantavirus cases reported. Among the health concerns being monitored globally is Ebola, a serious viral disease that has recently triggered renewed attention following outbreaks in parts of Africa. Doctors said residents should remember that global outbreaks often attract widespread attention, but the risk to most travellers remains low when appropriate precautions are followed. Authorities have also advised against non-essential travel to Ebola-affected countries, including Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.
Samoa Observer
90-Second Read: What is Hantavirus, and why is a cruise ship outbreak attracting global attention?
May 30, 5:02 PM EDT
A rare virus carried by rodents has infected 13 people and killed three during an outbreak linked to an Antarctic cruise ship, which has triggered a global public health response led by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The outbreak involves Andes virus, a type of Hantavirus that is mainly found in South America. The outbreak was first reported in early May after several passengers developed severe respiratory illness. According to the WHO, all 13 cases were passengers or crew members aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius.
CIDRAP
90-Second Read: Experimental Hantavirus drug ships to Europe as US passengers offered home quarantine
May 29, 3:09 PM EDT
Emergency shipments of the experimental antiviral drug favipiravir are on their way to France, the Netherlands, and Spain to treat Hantavirus patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship or run clinical trials, the European Commission (EC) announced yesterday in a news release. The 18 Americans were exposed to the Andes Hantavirus, which can transmit from person to person, as they sailed the South Atlantic this spring. Meanwhile, Wired reports that the Trump administration pulled funding from a center established in 2020 to research zoonotic diseases such as Hantavirus and Ebola in June 2025, a move fueled in part by conspiracy theories. Fujifilm Pharmaceuticals donated 1,400 tablets of favipiravir, which the European Medicines Agency has identified as the most likely candidate to use under clinical-trial or compassionate-use protocols.
The Independent
90-Second Read: Passengers evacuated from Hantavirus-hit cruise ship must now spend 42 days in quarantine
May 28, 6:44 AM EDT
Australia has extended the quarantine period for passengers repatriated from a Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship following a Hantavirus outbreak. Hantavirus was reported in at least 11 passengers and three people died. Meanwhile, six other people linked to the Hantavirus outbreak have left hospital to continue their isolation at home, health officials have said. The passengers have been informed about the advice and the decision of government.
Fontana Herald News
90-Second Read: Hantavirus is in the news
May 27, 1:23 PM EDT
Hantavirus news is usually confined to high-risk areas such as Arizona and New Mexico and unusual outbreaks like that in Yosemite National Park in 2012. The cruise ship MV Hondius has been identified as the source of the recent Hantavirus outbreak. Though the risk of a broad spread in the U.S. is "considered extremely unlikely at this time," the CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory on Hantavirus urging clinicians across the country to be aware of possible imported cases.
Yahoo Finance
90-Second Read: SNES: Hantavirus Ship Shines Light on Problem SNES Tackles – Initiating Coverage
May 27, 5:18 AM EDT
Marin NASDAQ: SNES READ THE FULL SNES RESEARCH REPORT Rodent infestations are pervasive, but problem is often undisclosed SenesTech, Inc. The recent outbreak of Hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship shines a light on the magnitude Rodent infestations are pervasive, but problem is often undisclosed SenesTech, Inc. DISCLOSURE: Zacks SCR has received compensation from the issuer directly, from an investment manager, or from an investor relations consulting firm, engaged by the issuer, for providing research coverage for a period of no less than one year.
The Indian Express
90-Second Read: Should you avoid cruises after recent Hantavirus concerns? Experts answer
May 27, 4:30 AM EDT
Experts say there is no need to avoid cruise travel entirely despite recent Hantavirus concerns, as infections are rare and mainly linked to exposure to infected rodents rather than person-to-person spread. After the recent Hantavirus concerns, should people avoid cruises altogether? Notably, Hantavirus does not spread like the common cold through casual person-to-person contact in most cases. Doctors recommend basic preventive measures such as good hand hygiene, sanitisation, safe food practices, and avoiding poorly stored or exposed food, especially for those with underlying health conditions.
fox10tv.com
90-Second Read: Cruise ship at center of deadly Hantavirus outbreak has to undergo extra cleaning
May 26, 6:40 PM EDT
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. 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.
KGNS
90-Second Read: Cruise ship at center of deadly Hantavirus outbreak has to undergo extra cleaning
May 26, 6:40 PM EDT
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. 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.
Newswise
90-Second Read: JMU expert: Common illnesses, not Hantavirus, pose greatest cruise, travel risk | Newswise
May 26, 4:05 PM EDT
JMU expert: Common illnesses, not Hantavirus, pose greatest cruise, travel risk HARRISONBURG, Va. Travelers should be aware of more common viral illnesses that occur in cruise settings. Beyond cruise travel, Zaman can offer insight into how different destinations and travel styles can influence disease risk and what steps people can take to stay healthy on the move.
FOX4KC.com
90-Second Read: Three people under observation at KU Hospital for Hantavirus released
May 26, 3:13 PM EDT
Three people who were exposed to Hantavirus and taken to the University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas, for observation have been released. Those individuals were discharged on Thursday, May 21, from KU Hospital, where they had been under observation since May 13 as a precautionary measure. There are still no confirmed cases of the Andes Hantavirus in Kansas, KDHE said, and the risk to the general public from the Andes virus remains extremely low.
New York Post
90-Second Read: Spanish passenger on MV Hondius tests positive for Hantavirus after being evacuated from cruise ship
May 26, 10:08 AM EDT
A Spanish national who evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship tested positive for Hantavirus after a deadly outbreak killed three passengers and infected more on the luxury liner, health officials announced. The latest case of the rodent-borne disease was detected while the infected traveler was quarantining under clinical surveillance with 13 other Spaniards aboard the Hantavirus-ridden Dutch vessel at Gómez Ulla Hospital in Madrid, according to the Spanish Health Ministry. The passengers have been in isolation since being evacuated on May 10.
DutchNews.nl
90-Second Read: Spanish cruise ship passenger tests positive for Hantavirus
May 26, 3:39 AM EDT
A Dutch couple and a German passenger died, while the other cases are all linked to the vessel. Health officials said they had had close contact with infected passengers. A 65-year-old German woman died on board, while other passengers who fell sick included the ship's doctor and a replacement doctor who flew out to join the cruise. The Spanish health ministry said the patient had been in preventive quarantine at Gomez Ulla Hospital in Madrid since disembarking from the vessel in Tenerife on May 10.
Yakima Herald-Republic
90-Second Read: Guest Commentary: What Yakima residents need to know about recent Hantavirus reports
May 23, 8:00 AM EDT
Hantavirus has received significant media attention in recent weeks because of a reported outbreak involving a cruise ship and a specific type of Hantavirus known as Andes virus. On May 2, the World Health Organization (WHO) was notified of several cases of serious respiratory illness among passengers and crew on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Health officials identified the cause as Andes virus, a type of Hantavirus that can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).
Yahoo
90-Second Read: Dutch cruise ship crew member tests positive for Hantavirus in isolation
May 22, 11:38 AM EDT
A Dutch crew member from the cruise ship hit by an outbreak of Hantavirus has tested positive while isolating in the Netherlands. The new case, announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday, brings the total number of infections linked to the outbreak on the MV Hondius up to 12. Hantavirus usually circulates in rodents but can infect people who come into contact with their urine, droppings or saliva.
The Atlantic
90-Second Read: How to Contain the Ebola Outbreak
May 22, 7:00 AM EDT
Two deadly outbreaks that could threaten Americans are unfolding simultaneously, Ebola in one part of the world, Hantavirus in another, with mortality rates of 25 to 50 percent and 38 percent, respectively, and no approved vaccines or treatments for either. In the case of the Hantavirus outbreak, nearly a month passed from when the first passenger aboard the affected cruise ship became sick, in April, to when the WHO confirmed the outbreak. To date, more than 600 suspected Ebola cases and 139 deaths have been recorded, making this the third-largest Ebola outbreak in history.
Healthbeat
90-Second Read: Hantavirus cruise ship quarantine orders are based on a disease list that doesn’t include Hantavirus
May 21, 10:34 PM EDT
Andes Hantavirus is missing from a key disease list that backs up federal quarantine orders. The deadly Hantavirus that has killed three passengers from a cruise ship does not appear on a key list that gives the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention its expansive detention powers, a public health law expert told Healthbeat. Until this week, federal officials had requested, but not mandated, that 18 U.S. passengers from the M/V Hondius cruise ship undergo medical screening and observation at a Nebraska quarantine facility through May 31, which would be the 21st day of their monitoring period.
The Week
90-Second Read: Why do Americans love cruises despite viral outbreaks?
May 21, 3:11 PM EDT
Expedition cruise lines "haven't experienced any slowdown in bookings" following the deadly Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, said The Wall Street Journal. Despite the scary headlines, industry experts "expect a record number of people" to take cruises this year, said The Associated Press. The stories are "piling up" about cruise ships being ocean-bound "fetid petri dishes." There is not "one thing" a cruise offers "that isn't available in the safe bosom of dry land." Cruises will remain popular anyway.
Clinical Trials Arena
90-Second Read: Cruise ship plays a crucial role in the Hantavirus outbreak
May 21, 11:25 AM EDT
As of 13 May, there had been 11 total cases of Hantavirus originating from the cruise ship Hondius, eight of which have been confirmed to be the Andes strain (ANDV). This outbreak is unusual because Hantavirus is usually transmitted from rodent faeces and is not usually capable of person-to-person transmission, unless it is ANDV and there is prolonged close contact. The working hypothesis presented in Disease Outbreak News is that patient zero acquired Hantavirus from a zoonotic exposure and then boarded the Hondius. In a May 2026 publication in Travel Medicine and Infectious Diseases, researchers noted that there is a gap in existing outbreak prevention regarding zoonotic and environmental exposures.
The Guardian
90-Second Read: US curbs on travelers exposed to deadly viruses may infringe rights and deter volunteers
May 21, 9:13 AM EDT
The latest restrictions highlight officials' previous rhetoric on public health measures and their attempts to contain outbreaks now, including reported opposition from the White House to Americans returning home. The move follows mandatory quarantine measures in Nebraska for passengers from the MV Hondius who were exposed to Andes virus, a type of Hantavirus, despite requests from some of the passengers to quarantine at home. When asked if this policy would deter volunteers, Pillai pointed to existing organizations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda that "have been integral in providing healthcare support" already. The unofficial policy could substantially dampen the response from volunteers to the region providing critical assistance, she said.
Midwest Medical Edition
90-Second Read: Nebraska Medicine and UNMC Asked to Monitor U.S. Citizens Following Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak
May 21, 1:50 AM EDT
Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center have been asked by federal partners to receive and monitor U.S. citizens from the cruise ship associated with a Hantavirus outbreak. Nebraska Medicine and UNMC are working closely with the Douglas County Health Department, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and federal health partners to coordinate the effort. Nebraska Medicine and UNMC have a long history of responding to global infectious disease threats.
WRAL
90-Second Read: NC officials: Nebraska Hantavirus quarantine extended through end of month
May 20, 4:51 PM EDT
North Carolina health officials say passengers quarantined in Nebraska after potential exposure to the deadly Hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius will remain there through at least the end of the month. Scott Shone, director of the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health, said states with passengers in the Nebraska quarantine received the update late Monday. Shone said local and state health officials have been working closely with federal partners.
Boston 25 News
90-Second Read: 42 days of isolation: Boston man shares inside look at quarantine life after Hantavirus outbreak
May 18, 6:01 PM EDT
The travel content creator from Boston was aboard the MV Hondius expedition ship when health officials identified an outbreak of the Andes strain of Hantavirus, a rare virus linked to several deaths connected to the voyage. Rosmarin is now spending 42 days in quarantine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's National Quarantine Unit, a specialized facility designed for monitoring exposure to dangerous infectious diseases. Rosmarin said staff at the facility check temperatures and symptoms daily while passengers remain isolated inside individual rooms.
The Independent
90-Second Read: Arkansas man arrested after mass shooting threats if Hantavirus triggered lockdown
May 18, 1:00 PM EDT
Aaron Keith Bynum, 20, of Oakland, Arkansas, faces charges of first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications following an investigation into threats made online, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Three passengers have died, including a Dutch couple who health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America, The Associated Press reported. Hantavirus is typically spread to humans through exposure to rodents and, in rare cases, can cause Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory illness with a fatality rate between 25 percent and 40 percent, according to WHO. An investigation was launched after the FBI received a tip on May 9 from an individual playing an online multiplayer video game with the suspect.
France 24
90-Second Read: Hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius arrives in Rotterdam for disinfection
May 17, 8:36 PM EDT
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. Hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents but can be transmitted between people in rare cases and after prolonged, close contact. British Columbia's government said on Saturday one Canadian, who had been a passenger on the Hondius, had also tested positive for Hantavirus. 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.
AP News
90-Second Read: Demand for cruises appears undimmed despite Hantavirus and other onboard outbreaks
May 17, 1:01 AM EDT
Recent outbreaks of Hantavirus and norovirus on cruise ships are making headlines, but they're unlikely to dim vacationers' growing love of cruises. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, a cruise ship carrying nearly 150 people remains off Cape Verde on Monday, May 4, 2026 after three passengers died and several others fell seriously ill in a suspected Hantavirus outbreak. Fellow passengers have not mentioned the Hantavirus outbreak, he said.
The Denver Post
90-Second Read: Demand for cruises appears undimmed despite Hantavirus and other onboard outbreaks
May 16, 6:10 PM EDT
By DEE-ANN DURBIN and MAE ANDERSON Recent outbreaks of Hantavirus and norovirus on cruise ships are making headlines, but they're unlikely to dim the growing popularity of vacation cruises, according to industry representatives and travel experts. Fellow passengers have not mentioned the Hantavirus outbreak, he said. Coggins said he thinks the Hantavirus story got a lot of attention because it reminded people of the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined off Japan for two weeks in early 2020 after the coronavirus that grew into a global pandemic was detected on board.
Atlanta Magazine
90-Second Read: Emory was ready for Hantavirus, but for now, there’s none to treat
May 16, 2:56 PM EDT
Early Monday morning, a couple who traveled on the MV Hondius, the cruise ship with a rare and deadly Hantavirus outbreak, were wheeled into Emory University Hospital's Serious Communicable Diseases Unit. With television helicopters hovering overhead, two passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship were admitted to Emory's Serious Communicable Diseases Unit on Monday, a facility meant to treat deadly infectious diseases like Hantavirus and Ebola. Emory was prepared to battle the Andes virus, a type of Hantavirus that causes severe respiratory illness and can be spread from person to person.
Slate
90-Second Read: I Know Way Too Much About Infectious Diseases. Here’s Why I’m Considering Taking a Cruise With My Family Anyway.
May 16, 10:00 AM EDT
That's not even the only cruise in the news right now for public health reasons, a norovirus outbreak on a ship called Ambition recently made dozens of passengers sick shortly after the trip began. A study of a 105-day, around-the-world cruise found that about 20 percent of the passengers visited the ship's doctor for an infection, mostly respiratory or gastrointestinal. If you've got a cruise booked, it's perhaps worth thinking about how you might reduce your risk of infectious disease. At one point, the luxury ship accounted for a remarkable 50 percent of all confirmed coronavirus cases.
The Guardian
90-Second Read: The Hantavirus debacle raises a key question: why would anyone go on a cruise?
May 16, 7:01 AM EDT
Less publicized is news of a British cruise ship dealing with a rash of stomach flu cases. Hospital quarantine, be it on land or ocean, is basically a cruise in that you can't go anywhere, your meals are provided for you, and the water pressure in the shower is not going to be nearly strong enough. If she can just get me on a Carnival cruise to Tenerife with an open bar, a roulette table and a large waterslide, she can pass on to the next phase.
11Alive.com
90-Second Read: 2 cruise passengers brought to Georgia following Hantavirus outbreak discharged from Emory
May 15, 11:34 PM EDT
Health officials said they are also monitoring two Georgia residents who returned from the same cruise. The two individuals traveled aboard the MV Hondius, which has been connected to reported cases of Hantavirus that have left three people dead, the Georgia Department of Public Health said. For Georgians who were not on the cruise ship where the outbreak happened, Guest said the risk of developing Hantavirus is exceptionally low.
Utah Public Radio
90-Second Read: Disease experts suggest cruise ship Hantavirus outbreak poses low risk
May 15, 4:55 PM EDT
Since May 2nd, the CDC has been monitoring a deadly Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Comparisons of the recent Hantavirus outbreak to SARS-CoV-2 are numerous, but inapt. Globally, the World Health Organization reported 11 cases linked to the cruise ship, including three deaths.
Indiana Public Media
90-Second Read: Local expert says Hantavirus unlikely to reach Indiana
May 14, 2:57 PM EDT
Experts say Hantavirus is not the new Covid-19 and is unlikely to reach Indiana. Of the over 100 people that were on the Hondius cruise ship in the South Atlantic, nine are confirmed to have contracted Andes virus, the only strain of Hantavirus known to spread human to human. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 1993 to 2023, there were 890 cases of Hantavirus in the U.S. About 94 percent of those occurred west of the Mississippi River.
Covering Climate Now
90-Second Read: The Hantavirus Is Also a Climate Warning
May 14, 1:15 PM EDT
But with 2026 predicted to be the hottest year on record, the Hantavirus outbreak is a warning of what public health experts have long said: A hotter planet is a deadlier planet. The Associated Press and CNN appear to be the first major news organizations to make the climate connection to the Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that departed Argentina on April 1. The link between Hantavirus and climate change remains far from definitive; more research is needed to determine how large a role climate change played in this particular outbreak. The signs now are that the Hantavirus is not the next pandemic.
Statesman Journal
90-Second Read: Oregon doctor released from isolation unit after new Hantavirus test
May 14, 11:57 AM EDT
A retired Bend doctor who helped care for sick passengers during a deadly Hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship has been released from a specialized medical isolation unit. Health officials believe a Dutch couple who became sick during the trip were exposed to the rodent-borne Andes Hantavirus while on a birdwatching excursion in Argentina. Hantavirus is rare in the United States, but when infections do occur, the most commonly reported form is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which is primarily associated with the deer mouse. Stephen Kornfeld, a retired oncologist from Bend, told CNN on May 12 he was being monitored inside a biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center after a test he took on the ship came back positive.
Forbes
90-Second Read: Another Cruise Is Hit With A Sickness Outbreak—But It’s Not Hantavirus
May 14, 9:05 AM EDT
One person reportedly died this week aboard the Ambition, the ship with the norovirus outbreak, but the 92-year-old man died of a heart attack unrelated to the virus. French authorities have been clear there is no link between the norovirus outbreak on the Ambassador cruiseliner and the deadly Hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch vessel that has passengers quarantining all over the world, including 18 in the United States. That's how many outbreaks of gastrointestinal viruses occurred on cruise ships last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of which were caused by norovirus. The ship informed French health authorities of the situation before its scheduled stop in Bordeaux Tuesday, and officials ordered everyone to stay aboard the ship.
San Francisco Chronicle
90-Second Read: Fifth California resident exposed to Hantavirus on cruise ship, health officials say
May 14, 1:22 AM EDT
State health officials identified a fifth California resident exposed to the Andes Hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship last month. Another California resident who may have been exposed was not on the cruise ship, but sat next to a person on a plane in South Africa who was later confirmed to have Hantavirus. Although Andes Hantavirus can be fatal, leading to three deaths in the recent cruise ship outbreak, officials have stressed that the risk to the California public remains low. The California resident was a passenger on the cruise ship, the California Department of Public Health said Wednesday.
BBC
90-Second Read: What it's like for passengers isolating in Hantavirus quarantine in Nebraska
May 13, 2:59 PM EDT
Jake Rosmarin tells the BBC what it's like inside the national quarantine unit where he and 14 other passengers are staying in Nebraska. Instead, Hantavirus claimed the lives of three of his fellow passengers on the MV Hondius, sparking an international frenzy over how and where to repatriate others onboard. Rosmarin and 14 other American passengers arrived Monday morning at the National Quarantine Unit, part of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the only federally funded such unit in the US.
TODAY.com
90-Second Read: Is the Hantavirus in the US? Map Shows States Where Passengers Have Returned Home
May 13, 1:02 PM EDT
A map of Hantavirus in the US shows 16 states where people exposed are monitored. Some 36 people across the United States have been exposed to Hantavirus due to the recent outbreak on a cruise ship, which involves the only known strain of the virus that spreads from person to person, called the Andes strain. Others were exposed to cruise passengers infected with Hantavirus during air travel.
The Medical University of South Carolina
90-Second Read: What an infectious disease specialist wants you to know about Hantavirus
May 13, 12:41 PM EDT
As the number of suspected or confirmed Hantavirus cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship rises to about a dozen, people across the country are watching with concern. Others are more cautious, raising questions about how the Andes strain of Hantavirus is transmitted and the length of its incubation period. We just had a CDC statement sent out through the South Carolina Department of Public Health, which is really a reminder to clinicians about how Hantavirus can present, what the risks are and how to respond if concerned.
The Detroit News
90-Second Read: Italy says four people quarantined for Hantavirus have all tested negative
May 13, 9:17 AM EDT
Rome/Paris ― Four people under observation in Italy for possible Hantavirus infection have all tested negative, the health ministry said on Wednesday as countries around the globe tried to stop the virus spreading. Hantavirus is primarily spread by rodents but can be transmitted between people in rare cases. In France, health minister Rist said she expected on Wednesday the outcome of tests carried out on the 22 people quarantined for having been in contact with someone with the virus.
AP News
90-Second Read: Cruise ship passenger making best of quarantine in US after Hantavirus outbreak
May 13, 9:07 AM EDT
15 passengers currently under observation in the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha after a Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship. Now, he is one of 18 Americans under observation at specialized healthcare facilities designed to treat people with dangerous infectious diseases after three people died and others were sickened by a Hantavirus outbreak aboard the ship. Public health officials have said the risk of the virus spreading from passengers into the general public is very low and that healthy people are being quarantined as a precaution. When Jake Rosmarin boarded the MV Hondius, he gleefully posted on social media that the ship would be home for 35 days as he and more than 100 other passengers and crew were to travel across the South Atlantic.
BBC
90-Second Read: Twenty-two people set to leave hospital after Hantavirus isolation
May 13, 8:40 AM EDT
Not all of the 22 passengers and crew have been allowed to leave the Arrowe Park hospital yet. Six people evacuated to the UK from a cruise ship after a Hantavirus outbreak are returning home or to suitable accommodation to complete a 45-day isolation period. Meanwhile, a British man with suspected Hantavirus on the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, is in a stable condition and in isolation. They have been isolating in Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral for 72 hours after being removed from the ship, and have tested negative for the virus.
6abc Philadelphia
90-Second Read: Hantavirus outbreak origin still a mystery, medical experts address theories
May 13, 5:44 AM EDT
As epidemiologists race to find more answers to the Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, they have addressed some theories about its origins. As epidemiologists race to find more answers to the origin of the Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise, they have ruled out some theories circulating online. There have been over 100 Hantavirus cases and more than 30 deaths recorded in Argentina this year, and not all regions have the rice rat that is known to carry the disease, according to health officials. Experts have said a bird-watching tour at a landfill was likely not the origin.
Anadolu Ajansı
90-Second Read: France places Hantavirus contacts under quarantine in Paris after repatriation
May 13, 4:09 AM EDT
The measure concerns individuals linked to a chain of exposure involving the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, where a French woman is reported to be seriously ill with Hantavirus. The eight contacts were identified after travelling on a flight between Saint Helena and Johannesburg, where a confirmed Hantavirus patient had also been onboard. All eight will remain under quarantine in Paris following the updated risk classification, authorities said.
AP News
90-Second Read: Quarantined cruise passenger gives Nebraska room tour, denies Hantavirus infection
May 13, 1:58 AM EDT
15 passengers currently under observation in the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha after a Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship. The task of declaring the festival officially open fell to the 88-year-old Jane Fonda and Gong Li, the Chinese-Singaporean actor. Ziggy Marley is looking to the "Brightside." The Grammy-winning 57-year-old musician focused his ninth solo studio album on optimism and mental health, along with nods to legacy. Adoptees account for an estimated 25-40% of those in residential treatment.
The Guardian
90-Second Read: What is Hantavirus, and why will cruise passengers spend so long in quarantine?
May 12, 5:25 PM EDT
Given the Covid-style quarantine of the returning passengers, how concerned should we be? Associate Prof Vinod Balasubramaniam, a molecular virologist at Monash University Malaysia, said Hantaviruses "do not usually spread easily from person to person in the way that you see flu or Covid-19 does". The Hantavirus outbreak aboard MV Hondius was "an example of inter-species disease transmission which has put health and government authorities on alert", said Dr Ariful Islam, an epidemiologist at Charles Sturt University who specialises in biosecurity and pandemic science. The World Health Organization has recommended, but not mandated, a 42-day quarantine period.
NBC4 Washington
90-Second Read: 3 people in Maryland and Virginia are being monitored for Hantavirus
May 12, 8:31 AM EDT
Maryland and Virginia officials monitor 3 people after a deadly Hondius cruise ship Hantavirus outbreak and a flight exposure. Three people in Maryland and Virginia are being monitored for Hantavirus for 42 days after being exposed. Hantavirus was last identified in Maryland in 2019, and no Andes virus infections have ever been reported in the state, the health department said.
BBC
90-Second Read: Last passengers leave virus-hit cruise ship as three more test positive
May 12, 1:40 AM EDT
The last passengers have left the Hantavirus-hit cruise ship, as authorities confirmed three new positive cases linked to the deadly outbreak. Three passengers have died after travelling on the ship, two of whom were confirmed to have had the virus. Spain's health ministry said one Spaniard who is quarantining in Madrid after being evacuated from the vessel had also provisionally tested positive for Hantavirus on Monday. An American and a French national who have returned home have tested positive for Hantavirus.
Al Jazeera
90-Second Read: Last passengers from Hantavirus-hit ship evacuated; American tests positive
May 11, 11:07 PM EDT
US officials say 18 Americans are being monitored for symptoms, as WHO insists risk to public remains low. Three people, a Dutch couple and a German national, have died since the outbreak of the Hantavirus on the ship. Officials from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Monday that one of the 18 American passengers evacuated from the ship had tested positive in a biochemical unit in Nebraska. The two planes carried 28 evacuees from the MV Hondius, which had been docked in the Canary Islands, including six passengers and 19 crew members, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.
WLOS
90-Second Read: North Carolina resident was aboard cruise ship hit by Hantavirus outbreak: NCDHHS
May 11, 8:49 PM EDT
North Carolina health officials are monitoring an outbreak of Hantavirus linked to a cruise ship after one North Carolina resident was identified as a passenger THE PRESIDENT participates in a greeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Humans usually contract Hantavirus from contact with rats or mice when exposed to their urine, droppings or saliva, according to health officials. Hantavirus cases are extremely rare in North Carolina, with one case in 1995, state health officials said.
Fox News
90-Second Read: Two Maryland residents monitored for Hantavirus after sharing flight with infected cruise ship passenger
May 11, 8:05 PM EDT
Maryland health officials say two residents are being monitored for potential Hantavirus exposure after flying with an infected MV Hondius cruise ship passenger. No Hantavirus cases have been reported in Maryland since 2019, and Andes virus infections have never been identified in the state, officials said. American passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius arrived in Omaha, Neb., on Monday, May 11, 2026, after flying from Tenerife, Spain.
CBS News
90-Second Read: Bay Area resident exposed to Hantavirus on MV Hondius cruise showing no symptoms, California health officials say
May 11, 7:21 PM EDT
San Francisco Bay Area health officials provided an update on a resident who was exposed to the Hantavirus during a cruise in the Atlantic, adding that the risk to the public remains low. If the person comes down with symptoms, officials added that there was a "comprehensive care plan" to prevent exposure risk to first responders, healthcare providers, other patients and the public. At least 10 cases have been reported and three people have died from a Hantavirus outbreak connected with the MV Hondius as of Monday. Officials confirmed over the weekend that the Santa Clara County resident was exposed to the virus while aboard the cruise ship.
WBAL-TV
90-Second Read: Travel plans steady amid concerns over Hantavirus outbreak
May 11, 6:40 PM EDT
While the Hantavirus outbreak is vastly different in scale and severity compared to the COVID-19 pandemic, some cruisers are concerned. The Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship crossing the Atlantic has raised concerns among some travelers, but Maryland travel agents say summer bookings remain steady as Memorial Day weekend approaches. For those uncertain about their travel plans, Daley recommends consulting a trusted travel advisor and securing travel insurance.
NBC News
90-Second Read: American passengers from Hantavirus-hit cruise ship arrive back in the U.S.
May 11, 6:31 PM EDT
The luxury cruise ship arrived early Sunday at the island of Tenerife, the largest of Spain's Canary Islands off West Africa, where passengers started repatriating to their home countries. American and global health officials have stressed throughout the outbreak that the risk to the wider public is low and that transmission is limited to close contact. A woman who was among five French passengers repatriated Sunday to Paris has tested positive for Hantavirus, and her health worsened in the hospital overnight, French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said Monday. Those two Americans traveled in the plane's biocontainment units "out of an abundance of caution," the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.
CNN
90-Second Read: RFK Jr. on Hantavirus: ‘We have this under control’
May 11, 3:48 PM EDT
Della Valle, who came to the US illegally in 1997, was detained last August. CNN's Anderson Cooper speaks with former MV Hondius passenger Jake Rosmarin, who is sharing videos showing his experience inside the Nebraska quarantine unit. Stephen Kornfeld, the American passenger who tested positive for Hantavirus and is now the only person isolated in the biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. CNN captured the moment when Carlos Della Valle reunited with his community after spending nearly nine long months in ICE detention.
The New York Times
90-Second Read: Cruise Ship Hit by Hantavirus Outbreak Sails for European Mainland
May 11, 3:10 PM EDT
With a series of four honks, the cruise ship at the center of a deadly Hantavirus outbreak departed the Canary Islands on Monday evening. The interval allowed the cruise's 150 passengers to be tested and to disembark. On Monday evening, Spain's health minister, Mónica García, said a Spanish passenger who tested positive for Hantavirus is being isolated at a hospital in Madrid.
Yahoo Finance
90-Second Read: Biotech Stocks Rally on Hantavirus Fears: Is the Surge Overdone?
May 11, 12:08 PM EDT
Given that we are barely five years removed from the COVID-19 pandemic, it's natural for consumers and investors to have concerns when hearing about the limited Hantavirus outbreak and react quickly. Earlier this month, several passengers aboard a cruise ship with 147 people reported various symptoms, prompting health officials to test and identify seven cases of Hantavirus on the ship, as of this writing. Biotech Stocks Rally on Hantavirus Fears: Is the Surge Overdone?
Florida Today
90-Second Read: Hantavirus cruise patients are in America. How contagious? Symptoms
May 11, 10:33 AM EDT
One American has tested positive for Hantavirus after being evacuated from a luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak of Hantavirus. Three people died last month after a Hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, a cruise ship traveling in the Atlantic Ocean. As of May 11, there are no reported cases of Hantavirus in Florida. Since the ship docked in Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands, its 17 American passengers are back in the US to quarantine.
WRAL
90-Second Read: 2 more passengers evacuated from cruise ship test positive for Hantavirus
May 11, 10:31 AM EDT
A French woman and an American have tested positive for the Hantavirus as nations around the world repatriated passengers from a cruise ship hit by an outbreak and quarantine or isolate them. Three cruise ship passengers have died, and there are at least six confirmed Hantavirus cases, according to the World Health Organization. Health authorities say the risk to the broader public is low from the first-ever Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. Passengers from the ship began flying home aboard military and government planes Sunday after the MV Hondius anchored in the Canary Islands.
USA Today
90-Second Read: Are cruise ships really breeding grounds for illness?
May 11, 10:16 AM EDT
A viral Hantavirus outbreak on the Oceanwide Expeditions' MV Hondius cruise ship was already commanding worldwide attention last week when health officials reported another: a norovirus outbreak on the Princess Cruises' Caribbean Princess. These incidents have many travelers asking if cruises are breeding grounds for illnesses and germs? Norovirus outbreaks on cruises, for example, account for just 1% of all reported cases, according to the CDC. The latter marked the fourth outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on cruises to meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's threshold for public notification in 2026.
FOX 5 Atlanta
90-Second Read: 17 Americans on cruise ship struck by Hantavirus return to U.S.
May 11, 8:39 AM EDT
17 Americans returned early Monday morning from the cruise ship that was struck by the Hantavirus. Health officials say the Andes strain of Hantavirus connected to the outbreak can spread person-to-person in rare circumstances. The World Health Organization said the outbreak marks the first known Hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship.
USA Today
90-Second Read: She narrowly survived Hantavirus 30 years ago. Here’s what it was like.
May 11, 8:25 AM EDT
Montiel says her mother stills cries thinking about her harrowing experience with Hantavirus, which, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, can have a fatality rate up to 38%, depending on the type of syndrome caused by it. Thirty years later, the shadow of Hantavirus still looms over Montiel's life. It also gave her health anxiety − a lingering dread that, one day, either the Hantavirus, or some other deadly pathogen, will infect her again.
Scientific American
90-Second Read: Hantavirus cruise ship outbreak, risk of microplastics-caused climate warming and Alaska landslide tsunami
May 11, 6:00 AM EDT
First, you may have seen some headlines last week about an outbreak of Hantavirus on a cruise ship. Feltman: Why are we talking about Hantavirus and this cruise ship? As of May 7 the number of people on this cruise ship who had been infected with Hantavirus was eight people. Lewis: Just to catch people up, this outbreak was first noticed about a week ago on a ship called the MV Hondius, which was a cruise ship departing from South America, Argentina.
Yahoo
90-Second Read: Hantavirus latest updates: U.S. citizen tests positive as 17 American passengers airlifted back
May 11, 4:37 AM EDT
Dozens of passengers, including 18 people in the United States, are being monitored in medical facilities for Hantavirus tied to the deadly outbreak on board the cruise ship MV Hondius. The World Health Organization said that as of Wednesday, there were still 11 reported cases of Hantavirus stemming from the cruise ship, eight of which had been confirmed, two that were probable and one that remains inconclusive. The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that all 11 confirmed or suspected cases of Hantavirus are among people who were passengers aboard the MV Hondius.
Anadolu Ajansı
90-Second Read: US repatriates 17 citizens from cruise ship after Hantavirus outbreak
May 11, 3:37 AM EDT
The outbreak, involving the Andes strain of Hantavirus, has resulted in five confirmed cases, including three deaths, according to officials from the World Health Organization (WHO). Scientists confirmed the outbreak was caused by the rare Andes variant of Hantavirus, the only known strain capable of human-to-human transmission, usually through close contact. CDC officials said passengers will be monitored for about six weeks, reflecting the virus' incubation period, while health authorities in several US states are also tracking travelers who had already left the vessel before the outbreak was confirmed.
The Guardian
90-Second Read: ‘It was either this or the pool’: Hantavirus ship becomes latest Tenerife tourist attraction
May 11, 3:00 AM EDT
Christened the "rat virus boat" by the internet after three people travelling onboard died of Hantavirus, a disease normally carried by rats and mice, its story has enraptured people all over the world. It took a while for the cause to be diagnosed as Hantavirus. The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus repeated the refrain that the outbreak was "not the start of a Covid pandemic" dozens of times in the lead up to the 24-hour evacuation period in Tenerife. And now, after reaching the Canary Islands shortly before dawn on Sunday, the ship is finally being evacuated, ending the ordeal for the remaining 149 passengers and crew.
The Guardian
90-Second Read: Hantavirus: what happens to cruise ship passengers now and will they quarantine?
May 11, 1:56 AM EDT
Up to 150 people have started flying home aboard military and government planes from Spain's Canary Islands, and the World Health Organization has recommended, but not mandated, a 42-day quarantine once they have landed. Passengers wore blue medical suits and breathing masks as they disembarked MV Hondius on to smaller boats, according to observers. In Australia, passengers will be taken by ambulance to a hospital to undergo assessment and establish suitable quarantine arrangements. The WHO recommends a 42-day quarantine and "active follow-up", including daily checks for symptoms such as fever.
WTAE
90-Second Read: One of the 17 Americans from Hantavirus-hit cruise ship has tested positive
May 11, 12:48 AM EDT
The cruise ship at the center of the Hantavirus outbreak has arrived at the Spanish island of Tenerife, where its 147 passengers are expected to disembark. Passengers evacuated from the Hantavirus-hit cruise ship began flying home Sunday aboard military and government planes after the vessel anchored in the Canary Islands, where travelers were escorted to shore by personnel in full-body protective gear and breathing masks. Nebraska Medicine has announced that one passenger expected to land in Omaha Monday morning has tested positive for Hantavirus, but does not show any symptoms. Maria Van Kerkhove further explains Hantavirus outbreak: 'This is not COVID' Spanish passengers were the first to leave the MV Hondius following its arrival in Tenerife, the largest island in the Spanish archipelago off the West African coast.
KUSA.com
90-Second Read: As cruise passengers return to US, doctor says risk of Hantavirus is low
May 10, 11:54 PM EDT
Example video title will go here for this video Example video title will go here for this video DENVER, After a deadly Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship, passengers are on their way home. With the 17 Americans on that cruise ship now on their way to Nebraska, many people are worried about the potential for Hantavirus to spread. Hantavirus needs prolonged intimate contact to spread, helping keep cases down.
The Guardian
90-Second Read: Americans onboard Hantavirus cruise ship to be repatriated to US
May 10, 4:19 PM EDT
The 17 Americans onboard the Hantavirus -stricken cruise ship M/V Hondius, including one person who has tested positive, have disembarked the vessel after it docked in Tenerife on Sunday and are being repatriated to the US. Upon their arrival in Spain, medical teams from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awaited and interviewed the passengers, whose identities have not been publicly disclosed and who have not tested positive for the virus, about their exposure on the cruise. Of the 17 Americans being repatriated, one had mild symptoms of Hantavirus and another had tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes strain of the virus, the US health and human services department (HHS) confirmed on Sunday night. The passengers are due to arrive in Nebraska on a special chartered flight, the authorities said.
BBC
90-Second Read: Argentinian tourism hotspot denies causing Hantavirus outbreak
May 10, 4:05 PM EDT
The BBC reports from the city of Ushuaia, where experts have been sent to investigate the origins of the outbreak. But in recent days it has been grappling with a different kind of fame, one that has cast a shadow over local businesses and officials: the suggestion it could be ground zero for the Hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch vessel MV Hondius. We cannot rule out, in principle, that the infections occurred in Tierra del Fuego, but there is an important fact to consider: since Hantavirus became a notifiable disease, no cases have ever been reported in the province. The cruise ship is now anchored in Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands where passengers are being evacuated and flown home.
Fortune
90-Second Read: Evacuations begin for Hantavirus-hit cruise ship, with Americans to be quarantined in Nebraska
May 10, 2:25 PM EDT
The first passengers to be evacuated from the Hantavirus-hit cruise ship now anchored off Spain's Canary Islands arrived Sunday afternoon in Madrid, where they were being taken to a military hospital. None of the more than 140 people on the Hondius has shown symptoms of the virus, officials from Spain's health ministry, WHO and cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions said. Three people have died since the outbreak, and five passengers who left the ship are infected with Hantavirus, which can cause life-threatening illness. Hantavirus usually spreads when people inhale contaminated residue of rodent droppings and isn't easily transmitted between people.
AP News
90-Second Read: View from onboard vessel taking passengers from Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship to Tenerife port
May 10, 5:54 AM EDT
Small vessels were seen carrying people from the MV Hondius to the quayside at Granadilla port. The Associated Press interviewed dozens of residents in the Paria Peninsula, in Venezuela's breathtaking northeastern coast from which some of the targeted boats departed. But after two tours in Iraq, Chris Arthur was calling for taking up arms against police and government officials in his own country. Spain's health minister earlier said that Spanish nationals would be the first to leave the ship.
Anadolu Ajansı
90-Second Read: US prepares quarantine measures for cruise passengers after Hantavirus deaths
May 10, 1:31 AM EDT
The US State Department is arranging a repatriation flight, and passengers will later be transferred to the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, it added. The outbreak, involving the Andes strain of Hantavirus, has resulted in five confirmed cases, including three deaths, according to World Health Organization (WHO) officials. CDC officials said passengers will be monitored for about six weeks, reflecting the virus's incubation period, while health authorities in several US states are also tracking travelers who had already left the vessel before the outbreak was confirmed.
CNN
90-Second Read: Hantavirus-hit cruise ship arrives in Tenerife, passengers expected to return home
May 10, 12:20 AM EDT
All of the passengers of the MV Hondius and some of its crew have been evacuated from the Hantavirus-hit cruise ship, as authorities continue to test people and monitor symptoms of the rare virus that has triggered an international health response. There have been nine reported cases and seven confirmed cases of Hantavirus in the outbreak so far, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). American passengers from Hantavirus-hit cruise ship, including one presumed positive, arrive in Nebraska for evaluation The US passengers landed early Monday in Nebraska, home to the National Quarantine Unit. The World Health Organization chief says he expects more cases to emerge among passengers, but virus is 'not another Covid' and risk to the public remains low.
Earth.com
90-Second Read: Cruise ship outbreak of rare Hantavirus raises fears of person-to-person spread
May 9, 5:41 PM EDT
A deadly cruise ship outbreak was linked to Andes Hantavirus, a rodent-borne disease that can cause severe lung and kidney illness in humans. Hantavirus has stormed back into global headlines after a deadly outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius killed three passengers off the coast of West Africa. New World strains in the Americas cause Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which floods the lungs and kills up to 40 percent of patients. The Hantavirus family is named after Korea's Hantan River.
13wham.com
90-Second Read: 17 Americans from Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship to quarantine in Nebraska: officials
May 9, 5:15 PM EDT
The 17 passengers will be quarantined at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine, the hospital said on Friday. Officials have not released the identities of the travelers, but said quarantine measures are being taken out of caution because Hantavirus symptoms can take weeks to appear. The virus can initially cause flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and muscle aches before progressing in severe cases to dangerous respiratory complications known as Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Health authorities said the passengers will undergo medical observation after potential exposure to the rare but serious virus, which is typically spread through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva.
BBC
90-Second Read: US sending charter flight to bring Americans home from Hantavirus cruise ship
May 9, 4:00 PM EDT
The US is sending a charter aircraft to bring home some Americans from a cruise ship where a Hantavirus outbreak killed three people and infected several others, authorities say. Officials have confirmed five of the eight suspected Hantavirus cases linked to the outbreak. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said on Friday that two state residents may have been exposed during a flight with a passenger infected with Hantavirus after leaving the cruise.
KUSA.com
90-Second Read: All 17 Americans aboard Hantavirus cruise ship will quarantine in Nebraska. Here's why.
May 9, 3:20 PM EDT
Seventeen Americans evacuated from a cruise ship linked to a deadly Hantavirus outbreak may be quarantined and monitored in Nebraska, officials said. The Americans were aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which has been linked to an outbreak of the rare Andes strain of Hantavirus. The World Health Organization has said the overall public health risk remains low, but the Andes strain is notable because it can spread person-to-person in rare cases involving close contact.
Al Jazeera
90-Second Read: Cruise ship stricken with Hantavirus heads for Tenerife
May 9, 2:52 PM EDT
A cruise ship hit by a Hantavirus outbreak is heading for Tenerife in the Canary Islands to disembark 140 passengers and crew after weeks stranded at sea. Three people have died and five passengers who left the ship are known to be infected with Hantavirus. But the Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases.
CNBC
90-Second Read: MV Hondius Hantavirus outbreak: A luxury expedition cruise boom and new world of remote travel risks
May 9, 8:25 AM EDT
To learn more about the CNBC CFO Council, visit cnbccouncils.com/cfo Remote expedition cruises to places like Antarctica and the Arctic are booming as affluent travelers increasingly seek out isolated, experience-driven destinations far from traditional tourism infrastructure. Ritu Panesar, founder and president of luxury travel company Travelopod, said her clients routinely spend between $30,000 and $50,000 per person on remote expedition itineraries, often booked months or even years in advance. Expedition travel protection policies often include emergency medical coverage, medical evacuation, trip interruption protection, and coordination services designed to transport travelers from remote regions to advanced medical facilities if a serious emergency occurs. The global cruise industry serviced a record 37.2 million passengers in 2025, up 7.5% from 2024, according to Cruise Lines International Association, with passenger volume expected to approach 42 million by 2028.
AP News
90-Second Read: Spanish authorities prepare to receive Hantavirus-hit cruise ship in Tenerife
May 9, 1:46 AM EDT
An isolated staging area was being built at Tenerife's Granadilla Port ahead of the arrival of the more than 140 passengers and crew members on board the ship. The task of declaring the festival officially open fell to the 88-year-old Jane Fonda and Gong Li, the Chinese-Singaporean actor. Ziggy Marley is looking to the "Brightside." The Grammy-winning 57-year-old musician focused his ninth solo studio album on optimism and mental health, along with nods to legacy. Adoptees account for an estimated 25-40% of those in residential treatment.
CNN
90-Second Read: Passengers on Hantavirus-hit cruise ship to disembark
May 8, 6:05 PM EDT
CNN's Melissa Bell reports from Tenerife, Spain, where the Hantavirus-hit cruise ship is expected to dock and passengers will return to their respective countries on planes. CNN's Anderson Cooper speaks with former MV Hondius passenger Jake Rosmarin, who is sharing videos showing his experience inside the Nebraska quarantine unit. Stephen Kornfeld, the American passenger who tested positive for Hantavirus and is now the only person isolated in the biocontainment unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. CNN captured the moment when Carlos Della Valle reunited with his community after spending nearly nine long months in ICE detention.