This is the fourth Disease Outbreak News report on the Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to cruise ship travel, following the notification to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 2 May 2026 of severe respiratory illness cases aboard M/V Hondius, a cruise ship. Since the last DON was published on 13 May, three additional confirmed cases were reported, from Canada, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Key points
- This is the fourth Disease Outbreak News report on the Andes hantavirus outbreak linked to cruise ship travel, following the notification to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 2 May 2026 of severe respiratory illness cases aboard M/V Hondius, a cruise ship.
- Since the last DON was published on 13 May, three additional confirmed cases were reported, from Canada, the Netherlands, 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 Netherlands-flagged cruise ship M/V Hondius.
- As of 27 May, a total of 13 cases (eleven confirmed and two probable cases), including three deaths (two confirmed and one probable), have been reported.
Why it matters
WHO continues to assess the risk for passengers and crew who were onboard the cruise ship as moderate, as individuals exposed prior to the implementation of control measures may still develop illness during the incubation period and should therefore be closely monitored.The risk at the global level is assessed 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 States Parties involved in this event to continue coordinated public health management efforts related to the management of cases and contacts associated with the affected ship and flights, as well as in countries where cases and/or contacts have been identified.
- WHO has advised and continues to advise a precautionary approach for management of the outbreak related to the ship, with focus on total containment to minimize the onward risk of transmission to other persons.
- This strategic decision is guided by:To date, most of the evidence of human-to-human transmission shows it has required prolonged close exposure, although it is possible that some highly infectious individuals could infect others through a lower degree of exposure.