Hantavirus Cruise Update: Hantavirus Cruise Update: A passenger evacuated from the luxury expedition cruise vessel MV Hondius has become the first American linked to the ongoing hantavirus outbreak to test positive for the virus, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Another passenger is also showing mild symptoms as health authorities continue monitoring those evacuated from the ship.
The outbreak aboard the Antarctic cruise vessel has already triggered global concern after multiple passengers fell ill during the voyage, prompting international evacuations, quarantine measures and a continuing investigation by the World Health Organisation.
Hantavirus Cruise Update: First Confirmed US Hantavirus Case Linked to Cruise Ship
US health officials confirmed that one evacuated passenger tested “mildly PCR positive” for the Andes virus, a strain of hantavirus associated with severe respiratory illness. Officials also revealed that another passenger currently has mild symptoms, although doctors have not yet confirmed a hantavirus infection in that individual.
“One passenger currently has mild symptoms and another passenger tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus,” health authorities stated. The affected passengers were transported back to the United States inside specialised biocontainment units designed to safely move potentially infectious patients.
Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak: Evacuated Americans Taken to Nebraska Quarantine Facility
According to HHS, all 17 American citizens evacuated from the cruise ship, along with one British national residing in the United States, are being transferred to quarantine and medical facilities in Omaha, Nebraska.
The passengers are expected to undergo medical evaluations at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre, which operates a federally funded quarantine and biocontainment unit.
Officials said the passenger who tested positive for the virus currently does not show symptoms but will undergo additional testing after arrival.
“One passenger will be transported to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival, while other passengers will go to the National Quarantine Unit for assessment and monitoring. The passenger who is going to the Biocontainment Unit tested positive for the virus but does not have symptoms,” said Kayla Thomas, spokesperson for The Nebraska Medical Centre.
Hantavirus Outbreak Cruise Ship Update: US Officials Stress Public Risk Remains Low
Health authorities continue to emphasise that the overall risk to the public remains low. US and international experts have repeatedly stated that hantavirus transmission usually requires close contact with infected individuals or exposure to contaminated rodent waste.
“We are confident in the quality of care that these individuals will receive, along with the protocols to keep healthcare workers safe,” Omaha Mayor John W. Ewing Jr. said.
The WHO investigation into the outbreak is currently focusing on a birdwatching excursion in southern Argentina attended by the first passenger who later died from the illness. Officials are trying to determine whether exposure to infected rodents during that excursion may have triggered the outbreak aboard the ship.
Hantavirus infections in humans remain rare worldwide, and health experts say this appears to be the first documented outbreak linked to a cruise ship.
Concerns in Tenerife After Ship Docked
The Hondius docked near Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands after passengers and crew began reporting illnesses during the voyage.
Residents reportedly expressed concern over the ship’s arrival and the possibility of wider virus transmission. However, Spain’s national government dismissed fears of a broader public health threat.
Medical teams wearing full protective equipment established quarantine and emergency medical areas to receive passengers safely.
Hantavirus Cruise Update: Captain Addresses Passengers After Difficult Voyage
In a video released on Monday, the ship’s captain, Jan Dobrogowski, thanked both passengers and crew members for their cooperation during the health emergency. He acknowledged the difficult conditions experienced on board over recent weeks as the vessel remained under strict medical supervision.
As of Monday morning, reports indicated that 54 individuals were still aboard the Hondius, while several countries continued arranging evacuations for their citizens. Around 32 passengers are expected to travel to the Netherlands as international authorities coordinate further monitoring and quarantine measures linked to the outbreak.
