US arranging repatriation for Americans on cruise ship hit by hantavirus

U.S. passengers aboard the MV Hondius affected by a hantavirus outbreak are expected to be repatriated to Nebraska on a U.S. government medical flight, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. They will undergo health assessments at Offutt Air Force Base and a quarantine center as CDC teams monitor exposure risks and coordinate response efforts.

Simon Lewis, Ryan Patrick Jones and Mrinmay Dey/Reuters

9 May 2026 at 01:49:13

US arranging repatriation for Americans on cruise ship hit by hantavirus

A person dives near the Granadilla port, where the cruise ship MV Hondius, is expected to arrive within three days, following a deadly hantavirus outbreak, at the port of Granadilla de Abona on the island of Tenerife in Spain, May 8, 2026.

Hannah McKay/Reuters

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday affected U.S. passengers aboard a Dutch cruise ship hit by an outbreak of a deadly strain of hantavirus are expected to be repatriated on a U.S. government medical flight to Nebraska.

MV Hondius is expected to arrive in the Canary Islands on Saturday or Sunday. There are 17 U.S. passengers aboard the ship, according to cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions.

"The Department of State is closely tracking the hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean and maintaining close contact with the cruise ship staff, Americans on board, and U.S. and international health authorities," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said earlier in the day.

The U.S. passengers will be brought to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha before being transported to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska.

A team of CDC epidemiologists and medical professionals has been deployed to the Canary Islands to assess the exposure risks of the U.S. passengers and determine appropriate monitoring measures, the agency said.

An additional CDC team is set to deploy to Offutt Air Force Base to support health assessments for the returning passengers.

Hantavirus is usually spread by rodents, but in rare cases can be transmitted person-to-person. The CDC said on Friday it will distribute updated monitoring guidance and resources for state and local health departments later on Friday.

-Simon Lewis, Ryan Patrick Jones and Mrinmay Dey/Reuters