OAN Staff Addie Davis
7:41 AM – Monday, May 11, 2026
American passengers on the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship in the Atlantic have been repatriated to the United States, with one individual having tested “mildly positive” for the virus and another showing symptoms.
Passengers began disembarking from the luxury cruise ship, the Dutch-flagged m/v Hondius, after it docked in the Canary Islands, Spain, off the coast of northwest Africa on Sunday, with their home countries providing special repatriation flights.
Media reports showed that American passengers have already arrived in the U.S., with the plane touching down at 2:30 a.m. ET on Monday morning, per NBC News.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said the 17 U.S. passengers would be transported to a pathogen treatment center in Omaha, Nebraska, with two individuals traveling in special biocontainment units on the plane “out of an abundance of caution.” The person showing symptoms would then be taken to a second location.
“Upon arrival at each facility, each individual will undergo clinical assessment and receive appropriate care and support based on their condition,” the HHS said on Sunday evening.
A spokesperson for the Nebraska Medicine network, Kayla Thomas, said the person who tested positive is not showing symptoms, according to the Associated Press. The outlet also reported the other individual as having mild symptoms as of late Sunday, per U.S. health officials.
Since the ship set sail from Argentina in early April, three people have died, a Dutch couple and a German national, and several others have fallen ill.
Five French nationals were also repatriated to their home country and were immediately placed under strict isolation while they receive medical care and undergo testing. One individual exhibited symptoms on the repatriation flight, said French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
“Starting this evening, I will issue a decree to implement appropriate isolation measures for close contacts and to protect the general population,” Lecornu said on Sunday.
The hantavirus usually spreads through encountering rodent excretions, and the strain responsible for the current outbreak, the Andes virus, is the only variant known to spread between humans.
Health officials, however, have maintained that the risk to the general public remains low.
“While the current public health risk from the virus remains low, it’s important that international efforts ensure the safety of all, including passengers & crew of the MV Hondius,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted a large window of four to 42 days from exposure exists for symptoms to appear. The health organization explained that the virus can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which can be deadly.
“38% of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease,” the CDC stated.
No specific treatment exists for the infection, but the CDC emphasized the benefit of early intervention, saying “patients should receive supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of symptoms.” It also noted that symptoms can develop rapidly.
The CDC noted that the spread of the virus usually is limited to close contact with the infected person, a point that the Public Health Agency of Canada also emphasized, saying a risk to the general population would be minor.
“Given that close, prolonged contact is required for person-to-person spread of ANDV [Andes virus], making onward spread unlikely,” the foreign health organization stated, also bringing up the six Canadian nationals that had been on board when the ship departed from South America.
During a CNN interview on Sunday, National Institutes of Health Director and CDC Acting Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said the hantavirus spread is not as severe as the spread of COVID-19, and that the CDC is actively working on the outbreak.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!
Sponsored Content Below
Be the first to comment