Despite fears of another pandemic, experts say the recent hantavirus outbreak poses little risk to the wider public. Photo credit: Daniele D’Andreti via Unsplash.
A passenger on the Dutch cruise ship, the MV Hondius, developed illness symptoms on 6 April 2026 and died on the ship on 11 April. At the time of his death, a serious or unexpected cause was not suspected, as his symptoms were common and consistent with age-related risk. Therefore, no samples were taken, and his death was not formally investigated. On 26 April, his wife, who had disembarked after his death, died. A German passenger died on 2 May. Following the multiple deaths and other passengers exhibiting symptoms, authorities began investigating the possibility of a hantavirus outbreak.
Following the multiple deaths and other passengers exhibiting symptoms, authorities began investigating the possibility of a hantavirus outbreak.
On 10 May, the ship carrying crew and passengers who were potentially exposed to hantavirus docked in Tenerife amid international controversy and alarm.
As of 24 May, there have been 10 confirmed cases, 2 probable cases, and 3 associated deaths.
Despite growing public anxiety that this could become the next COVID-19 pandemic, experts seem to be reassured by the science behind hantavirus and its transmission. So, how worried should the average person be?
How contagious is hantavirus?
Most hantaviruses do not spread from person to person.
The short answer is not very, at least between humans. Most hantaviruses do not spread from person to person. They are transmitted through contact with rodents or their excrement.
The Andes strain, linked to this outbreak, is the only known exception to the rule that hantavirus does not spread person to person, but even its transmission between humans is considered ineffective and rare. Transmission in these cases is hypothesised to result from prolonged close contact with an infected person. Contact of this nature is more likely in the confined context of a cruise ship than in typical interactions. For the passengers of the MV Hondius, new cases could continue to be identified as the incubation period of the virus can be as long as eight weeks.
Jorge Salinas, medical director of infection prevention at Stanford Health Care, recalled a previous Andes strain outbreak, in which “More than 80 health care workers who had unprotected contact with patients were not infected, underscoring how inefficiently the Andes virus tends to jump between humans.”
Investigating the fatality rate
While the transmission of hantavirus is not a cause for concern, confirmed cases can be dangerous and fatal. The Andes strain’s fatality rate is generally estimated at 40–50%. For comparison, the COVID-19 fatality rate is estimated at around 0.5–1%. The Andes strain’s high fatality rate is associated with risk of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is life-threatening as it can progress to respiratory failure and cardiogenic shock.
Treatment primarily focuses on monitoring and supportive care, as no vaccines or antivirals are available. Early intervention with supportive care can reduce the risk of complications and improve outcomes.
How concerned should we be?
If you were a passenger on the MV Hondius or have had prolonged close contact with a passenger who disembarked pre-quarantine, there may be some grounds for concern. For the average person, however, the risk is negligible despite the high fatality rate, owing to the low transmission risk and the current organised public health efforts to contain the outbreak.
Ultimately, while certain aspects of this hantavirus outbreak warrant monitoring…there is no serious pandemic risk at this time.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many have remained on alert for the next major outbreak and the possibility of another quarantine. Every isolated public health event reminds us of lockdown and the anxiety, grief, and disruption it brought. We feel a familiar unease when words like “quarantine” and “international public health efforts” are used together. Ultimately, while certain aspects of this hantavirus outbreak warrant monitoring, such as its apparent spread among people in close contact, there is no serious pandemic risk at this time.
This situation is still developing. As more information emerges, guidance and opinions may change.
Edited by Sebastian Evans and Eleanor Shuttleworth.
