Earlier this May The MV Hondius cruise ship experienced a deadly multi-country outbreak of the rare Andes virus strain of hantavirus. As of May 14, 2026, the World Health Organization has tracked 11 total cases, including 3 deaths, among the 147 passengers and crew members.

The remaining passengers in the HV Hondius cruise ship disembarked recently to the Canary islands on the 10th of May. The different countries that received their Nationals have different approaches to handling Hantavirus but as of now most are doing a 42 day isolated quarantine.

While this headline may seem scary, many health officials are calling for the public to remain calm. Although this virus may give us PTSD to a certain virus, it is not as highly contagious as sensationalized news makes it out to be. While there are certain variations of the virus that can pass from human to human, it is not nearly contagious enough to be cause for worldwide panic.