An investigation continues to understand the root cause of the spread of hantavirus on a cruise ship killing 3 European nationals. The World Health Organization (WHO) released a report on May 7, 2026, stating that the overall risk to American residents is low.
In the report, the experts urged the Americans aboard the ship to follow the health officials’ guidelines as they work to bring them home safely.
The vessel, MV Hondius, set sail from the coast of West Africa on Wednesday, bound for the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain, where it would dock, the authorities said. It carried 150 individuals, of which 88 were passengers, while 61 others were crew members. 3 passengers who died were a Dutch couple and a German citizen.
This patient, who was a citizen of the Netherlands, was exhibiting symptoms such as fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. He passed away on board the cruise ship on April 11, as cited by The New York Times. She too fell ill with the same virus and collapsed when the body was taken off the plane at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, about two weeks after the passing away of her husband.
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The term Hantavirus or hantavirus pulmonary syndrome refers to a condition caused by exposure to the saliva or feces of infected mice or rats. Flu-like symptoms are common among individuals affected by this condition, although the problem tends to progress rapidly into severe infections that affect other parts of the body.
The CDC reports that there have been 890 hantavirus cases between 1993 and 2022.
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