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Recently, a group of American passengers embarked on a unique journey aboard the MV Hondius, exploring remote islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, six weeks later, many of these travelers found themselves in a stark quarantine facility in Omaha, Nebraska, facing prolonged isolation due to a hantavirus outbreak.
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“Hopping back on for a second to let everyone know I’m okay and feeling well,” passenger Jake Rosmarin wrote in a post to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/11/us/live-news/hantavirus-cruise-outbreak?post-id=cmp1ilx7a0000356r6bepu74b">Instagram</a> Monday, alongside a smiling selfie in the room where he is quarantining.
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“The repatriation flight was smooth, and I safely made it to the National Quarantine Unit in Omaha. It’s been a very long few days, but hopefully I can start giving more updates again soon.”
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More than a week after the World Health Organization reported a hantavirus outbreak on the Hondius ship, a global repatriation effort is still active for the passengers and crew members who were onboard.
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As of Tuesday morning, 122 individuals—87 passengers and 35 crew members—had been evacuated, with most returning home. Five Australians and one New Zealander remain in the Netherlands and are expected to be repatriated later this week, according to officials.
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The remaining 27 people on the ship—25 crew members and two medical professionals—are currently <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/11/us/live-news/hantavirus-cruise-outbreak?post-id=cmp1o75do0000356st1c5arwi">sailing to Rotterdam</a>, where the vessel is scheduled for disinfection. They are expected to arrive on Sunday evening, as reported by <a href="https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/press/press-update-m-v-hondius-11-may-2026-21-00-hrs-cet?_gl=1*2u2fqd*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTkxMTUxNDAyLjE3Nzg1MzE3OTg.*_ga_4NF7C856F1*czE3Nzg1MzE3OTckbzEkZzAkdDE3Nzg1MzE3OTckajYwJGwwJGg1NzgzODI5NDQ" target="_blank">Oceanwide Expeditions</a>.
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Since April 11, three passengers have died, and there are additional confirmed or probable cases. The WHO has emphasized that the public health risk remains low.
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<div data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/image/instances/cmp29ub3h00193b6rfdi8ce9g@published" class="image_large-elevate vossi-image_large-elevate image_large__hide-placeholder" data-image-variation="image_large" data-name="2026-05-11T233511Z_1840537424_RC2A7LAKKROY_RTRMADP_3_CRUISESHIP-HANTAVIRUS-NETHERLANDS.JPG" data-component-name="image" data-observe-resizes="" data-breakpoints="{" image_large--eq-extra-small="" data-original-ratio="0.6665767466954411" data-original-height="2471" data-original-width="3707" data-url="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233511z-1840537424-rc2a7lakkroy-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original" data-editable="settings" data-article-gutter="true">
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<picture class="image_large__picture"><source height="undefined" width="679" media="(max-width: 479px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233511z-1840537424-rc2a7lakkroy-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_679,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="967" media="(min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233511z-1840537424-rc2a7lakkroy-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_967,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233511z-1840537424-rc2a7lakkroy-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233511z-1840537424-rc2a7lakkroy-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233511z-1840537424-rc2a7lakkroy-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><img src="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233511z-1840537424-rc2a7lakkroy-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill" alt="Passengers evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius disembark after landing at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands on Tuesday." class="image_large__dam-img image_large__dam-img--loading" onload="this.classList.remove('image_large__dam-img--loading')" onerror="imageLoadError(this)" height="2471" width="3707" loading="lazy"/></source></source></source></source></source></picture>
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The coming weeks will be filled with uncertainty for those who traveled on the ship, with health officials believing that human-to-human transmission of the Andes variant of hantavirus may have occurred.
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In the United States, 17 Americans and one British dual-national are being monitored in healthcare facilities similar to the one Rosmarin posted from. The age range of the passengers varies from their late 20s to early 80s, with older individuals and those with underlying health conditions at higher risk for severe outcomes.
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<picture class="image_large__picture"><source height="undefined" width="679" media="(max-width: 479px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/screenshot-2026-05-11-at-1-02-38-pm.png?c=original&q=w_679,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="967" media="(min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/screenshot-2026-05-11-at-1-02-38-pm.png?c=original&q=w_967,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/screenshot-2026-05-11-at-1-02-38-pm.png?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/screenshot-2026-05-11-at-1-02-38-pm.png?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/screenshot-2026-05-11-at-1-02-38-pm.png?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><img src="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/screenshot-2026-05-11-at-1-02-38-pm.png?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill" alt="Former MV Hondius passenger Jake Rosmarin shares a selfie Monday from inside a quarantine unit in Omaha, Nebraska." class="image_large__dam-img image_large__dam-img--loading" onload="this.classList.remove('image_large__dam-img--loading')" onerror="imageLoadError(this)" height="796" width="597" loading="lazy"/></source></source></source></source></source></picture>
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Sixteen of these individuals are at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). One is in the biocontainment unit after testing positive for the virus, while the others are in the quarantine unit, all of whom are asymptomatic.
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Two additional individuals—a couple—were transferred to Emory University in Atlanta, where they are now in a biocontainment unit due to capacity limitations at UNMC. At least one individual at Emory is exhibiting symptoms.
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Authorities will evaluate the passengers over several days to determine whether each should complete their 42-day monitoring period at home or continue in the medical facilities.
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Beyond these 18 individuals, at least 11 others are under observation across seven states. Passengers from Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia had previously disembarked, while individuals in New Jersey and Maryland were exposed during international flights.
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As American passengers are monitored, health officials continue testing and observing individuals who were on board the infected cruise ship and those who had close contact with confirmed cases.
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The cruise departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, making stops in isolated regions, including St. Helena—where more than 30 passengers disembarked—and Tristan da Cunha, before it was compelled to anchor off Praia, Cape Verde, near western Africa as authorities worked to control the outbreak.
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<div data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/image/instances/cmp29vlyg001d3b6rlcisn5tq@published" class="image_large-elevate vossi-image_large-elevate image_large__hide-placeholder" data-image-variation="image_large" data-name="2026-05-11T233513Z_131001991_RC2B7LA2XINC_RTRMADP_3_CRUISESHIP-HANTAVIRUS-NETHERLANDS.JPG" data-component-name="image" data-observe-resizes="" data-breakpoints="{" image_large--eq-extra-small="" data-original-ratio="0.6666666666666666" data-original-height="2922" data-original-width="4383" data-url="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233513z-131001991-rc2b7la2xinc-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original" data-editable="settings" data-article-gutter="true">
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<picture class="image_large__picture"><source height="undefined" width="679" media="(max-width: 479px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233513z-131001991-rc2b7la2xinc-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_679,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="967" media="(min-width: 480px) and (max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233513z-131001991-rc2b7la2xinc-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_967,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233513z-131001991-rc2b7la2xinc-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233513z-131001991-rc2b7la2xinc-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><source height="undefined" width="860" media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233513z-131001991-rc2b7la2xinc-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill/f_webp" type="image/webp"><img src="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/2026-05-11t233513z-131001991-rc2b7la2xinc-rtrmadp-3-cruiseship-hantavirus-netherlands.JPG?c=original&q=w_860,c_fill" alt="Passengers evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius walk with their belongings after disembarking at Eindhoven Air Base in the Netherlands on Tuesday." class="image_large__dam-img image_large__dam-img--loading" onload="this.classList.remove('image_large__dam-img--loading')" onerror="imageLoadError(this)" height="2922" width="4383" loading="lazy"/></source></source></source></source></source></picture>
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The ship anchored near Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday, where medical teams boarded to conduct tests, leading to the evacuation of both passengers and medical staff.
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A French woman, among five French nationals evacuated from the ship, tested positive upon her return from Tenerife and is now receiving treatment in a specialized hospital, as shared by French Health Minister Stephanie Rist on France Inter.
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Additionally, a Spanish passenger currently isolated in a Madrid hospital has tested positive for hantavirus following a preliminary test, as reported by Spain’s Health Ministry.
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So far, nine cases have been reported within the outbreak, with seven confirmed cases of hantavirus according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
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WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that he anticipates “more cases” to emerge among passengers due to the anticipated six to eight-week incubation period of the virus. He reassured that all passengers are under excellent medical care.
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Risk Remains Low
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Authorities from nearly two dozen countries are collaborating to control the spread of this virus, which can lead to severe and potentially fatal respiratory illnesses.
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Hantavirus, a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/04/health/hantavirus-cruise-ships-explainer-intl">rare disease often resulting from exposure to infected rodent excretions</a>, can manifest symptoms like headaches, fever, gastrointestinal issues, and respiratory problems.
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Nevertheless, health officials stress that the general American population <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/11/us/live-news/hantavirus-cruise-outbreak#cmp1afp7d000f356r3wh9cddu">should not panic</a>.
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“Let me be crystal clear: The risk of hantavirus to the general public remains very, very low,” stated Dr. Brian Christine, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services.
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“The Andes variant of this virus does not spread easily and requires prolonged, close contact with someone who is already symptomatic.”
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<h2>Key Takeaways</h2>
<ul>
<li>Passengers from the MV Hondius face potential weeks of isolation due to a hantavirus outbreak onboard.</li>
<li>A global repatriation effort has evacuated 122 individuals, with most returning home.</li>
<li>The risk of widespread infection is presently deemed low by health authorities.</li>
<li>Monitoring of both onboard passengers and those in close contact with them is ongoing in several states.</li>
</ul>
<h2>FAQ</h2>
<h3>What is hantavirus?</h3>
<p>Hantavirus is a rare disease typically associated with exposure to infected rodent excretions, which can result in severe respiratory issues.</p>
<h3>How many passengers were evacuated from the MV Hondius?</h3>
<p>A total of 122 individuals, including 87 passengers and 35 crew members, were evacuated from the ship.</p>
<h3>Is the public at risk of contracting hantavirus?</h3>
<p>Health officials have stated that the risk to the general public remains very low.</p>
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In conclusion, health authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and precautionary measures are in place to ensure public safety. While the outbreak has raised concerns, the overall risk remains low for the general population.
</p>
Categories
Food
Hantavirus Outbreak: Health Officials Quarantine Travelers After Trip
