An American passenger evacuated from the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius tested "mildly" positive for the Andes strain of the virus during a repatriation flight to the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services said. The individual was asymptomatic but was placed in a biocontainment unit on the flight as a precaution. Another American began showing symptoms of hantavirus during the same flight, according to HHS, though no further details were provided. The infected passenger will be monitored at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's biocontainment unit. The MV Hondius, which docked in Granadilla, Tenerife, on May 10, 2026, had nearly 150 people on board from over 15 countries, including 17 Americans. At least nine cases of hantavirus are linked to the outbreak, with three fatalities: a Dutch couple and a German woman. The Andes strain, rare and capable of person-to-person transmission, prompted strict isolation protocols during evacuation. Spanish nationals were the first to disembark, followed by French and British passengers. A French woman began showing symptoms mid-flight and later tested positive for hantavirus, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed. All five French evacuees were placed in isolation upon arrival. Passengers were transported via small launch boats to maintain control, and no contact occurred with the local population. Crew in protective gear, including hazmat suits and respirators, managed the disembarkation. The World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, alongside Spanish health and interior ministers, oversaw the operation. The CDC deployed a team to assess exposure risks for American passengers. A skeleton crew will resupply the ship and sail it to Rotterdam, Netherlands, in about five days, where it will be disinfected. The body of a deceased passenger remains on board until arrival.
One asymptomatic American tested mildly positive for the Andes virus while another showed symptoms during the same repatriation flight, exposing gaps in pre-boarding screening despite extensive safety measures. The French government placed five evacuees in isolation after one tested positive post-flight, revealing that symptom-based checks may miss early or mild cases. The CDC's deployment of epidemiologists suggests uncertainty about transmission risks among passengers cleared before departure. While Spain, France, and the U.S. implemented strict protocols, the incident underscores reliance on containment over detection during evacuation.
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