Spain Hantavirus Ship
Passengers board a plane bound for Eindhoven, after disembarking from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius at the airport in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Monday, May 11, 2026.
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A doctor says a French woman being treated for hantavirus after being infected on a cruise ship is critically ill and being treated with an artificial lung. A doctor at the Paris hospital treating the hantavirus patient said Tuesday the woman's blood is being pumped through an artificial lung to relieve pressure on her lungs and heart. The World Health Organization says the outbreak has reached 11 reported cases worldwide, nine of which have been confirmed. The overall tally includes three people from the cruise ship who died. Spanish officials said Tuesday the passenger with a newly confirmed infection is in quarantine at a military hospital.
Oceanwide Expeditions says it expects to know by the end of the week if the MV Hondius cruise ship will keep to its schedule after a hantavirus outbreak. Three passengers died, and more than 120 people were evacuated in Spain. The ship is heading to Rotterdam for disinfection. The hantavirus is usually spread by rodent droppings and not easily transmitted between people. Experts say normal disinfectants should suffice to kill the virus. Oceanwide Expeditions reports no indication of rodents on board and operates under strict hygiene protocols. Future passengers are likely safe, according to experts.
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