This is the third Disease Outbreak News report on the hantavirus cluster, following the notification to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 2 May 2026 of severe respiratory illness cases aboard MV Hondius, a cruise ship. Since the last DON was published on 8 May, two additional confirmed cases were reported from France and Spain.
Key points
- This is the third Disease Outbreak News report on the hantavirus cluster, following the notification to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 2 May 2026 of severe respiratory illness cases aboard MV Hondius, a cruise ship.
- Since the last DON was published on 8 May, two additional confirmed cases were reported from France and Spain.
- On 2 May 2026, WHO received notification from the IHR NFP of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (hereafter referred to as the United Kingdom) regarding a cluster of severe acute respiratory illness, including two deaths and one critically ill passenger, aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius.
- As of 13 May, a total of 11 cases (eight confirmed, one inconclusive and two probable cases), including three deaths (two confirmed and one probable), have been reported.
Why it matters
WHO currently assesses the public health risk for those who were onboard the cruise ship as moderate, and at the Global level as low for the following reasons:Andes virus has demonstrated limited human-to-human transmission in previous outbreaks, typically occurring among close contacts and within household settings, generally requiring prolonged close exposure. Transmission can be contained through early detection, isolation of cases, clinical management, and contact management.
Public guidance
- WHO advises that States Parties involved in this event continue public health coordination and management efforts related to the ship and relevant flights, and in countries where cases and/or contacts are present or will be returning to.
- Based on information available and ongoing epidemiological, clinical and environmental investigations, and applying the precautionary principle, this includes contact tracing and monitoring, detection, investigation, reporting of suspected cases, laboratory testing of suspected cases, case management, infection prevention and control measures, and clear and transparent communication to affected individuals and the general public.
- Outside the context of the ship, high-risk contacts may include intimate partners, household members and persons with prolonged close indoor exposure, healthcare workers with unprotected exposure, and individuals handling contaminated materials or body fluids without appropriate personal protective equipment, outlined in the interim guidance published on 8 May.