Health officials in Arizona and Georgia are monitoring U.S. passengers who returned from the MV Hondius cruise ship following a hantavirus outbreak [1], [2].
This monitoring effort aims to contain a potential outbreak and protect public health after the virus caused several deaths aboard the Dutch vessel [3], [4].
There have been five confirmed hantavirus cases aboard the MV Hondius [5]. Three passengers died from the virus [6]. One death involved a 69-year-old woman in South Africa, while two other passengers died on board the ship [7].
On April 24, 2026, 26 passengers disembarked at St. Helena in the South Atlantic [8]. Among those who left the ship was a Swiss national who was later diagnosed with hantavirus [9]. More than 100 passengers remained on the vessel [5].
U.S. health officials said Americans who traveled on the cruise ship at the center of the outbreak are being monitored for symptoms [10]. Reports on the number of states involved vary, with some sources citing Arizona and Georgia [2], and others stating officials in three states are monitoring passengers [11].
A health official said the overall public health risk remains low [12].
“Overall public health risk remains low”
The monitoring of passengers in Arizona and Georgia reflects a precautionary approach to a rare but severe respiratory illness. Because hantavirus is typically transmitted through rodent droppings and not person-to-person, the focus on passengers who disembarked at a specific port suggests officials are tracing the exact point of exposure to ensure no new clusters emerge on land.
