Passengers from Cruise with Hantavirus Outbreak Back in the States. Here's What We Know

Hantavirus has officially arrived in the United States.

Eighteen passengers from the MV Hondius - the cruise ship at the center of the world's first-ever hantavirus outbreak at sea - are now back on American soil and being monitored at medical facilities, health officials confirmed Monday. Sixteen are in Nebraska at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which operates a federally funded quarantine facility previously used for COVID-19 and Ebola patients. Two others have been transferred to Emory University in Atlanta.

At least one of the Nebraska passengers has tested positive for hantavirus, though all sixteen in Nebraska are currently asymptomatic. One of the two patients in Atlanta is experiencing symptoms. A French woman who was repatriated Sunday also tested positive and her condition worsened overnight in a Paris hospital.

How Serious is the Hantavirus Outbreak?

Health authorities are being careful to manage public concern without minimizing the outbreak's significance. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus drew a direct comparison to the pandemic that defined the last decade - and dismissed it.

"This is not another COVID," he said Sunday. "And the risk to the public is low. So they shouldn't be scared, and they shouldn't panic."

Hantavirus typically spreads through contact with rodent droppings, urine or saliva, not easily between people. The strain implicated in this outbreak, the Andes virus, is unusual in that it may be capable of limited human-to-human transmission in rare cases. That characteristic is what makes this outbreak extraordinary enough to warrant global attention, and it is what the WHO is actively investigating.

Three passengers have died since the outbreak began on April 11. A total of eight cases have been reported as of May 8, according to WHO figures.

How Many States Are Affected by the Hantavirus Outbreak?

Six U.S. states are now monitoring passengers and potential contacts from the ship. Virginia, Georgia, California, Arizona and Texas are tracking both passengers and people they may have come into contact with. New Jersey is monitoring individuals who may have interacted with someone from the ship.

Hantavirus: What Happens Next?

The WHO is recommending that all former passengers undergo active daily health monitoring - either at home or in a specialized facility - for the duration of the virus's incubation window, which can range from one to eight weeks after exposure. Early symptoms include fever, chills and muscle aches.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 9:05 AM.