Hantavirus: 2 Georgians under monitoring after deadly ship outbreak
This aerial view shows health personnel assisting patients onto a boat from the cruise ship MV Hondius, while stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. Evacuations were taking place on May 6, 2026 from a cruise ship
ATLANTA - The Georgia Department of Public Health is monitoring two residents who returned home from the M/V Hondius cruise ship following a deadly hantavirus outbreak.
Georgia health monitoring
What we know:
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed that two residents are back in the state after disembarking from the M/V Hondius. The individuals are following recommendations from the CDC and currently show no symptoms of the virus.
The CDC stated Wednesday that the risk to the American public remains extremely low. The ship, which is the center of the first hantavirus outbreak ever recorded on a vessel, departed Cape Verde on Wednesday for Spain’s Canary Islands with nearly 150 people isolated in cabins.
Hantavirus cruise investigation
What we don't know:
Health officials are still investigating exactly how the virus reached the ship, though the leading hypothesis involves a couple who went bird-watching in Ushuaia, Argentina. It is not yet clear if other passengers left the ship at various stops before the outbreak was fully identified.
Global outbreak impact
By the numbers:
The outbreak has resulted in three deaths so far. Of the eight recorded cases, laboratory testing has confirmed five of them. Health officials in South Africa have traced 42 of 62 people believed to have had contact with infected passengers; all 42 have tested negative.
Understanding the virus
Big picture view:
Hantavirus typically spreads when people breathe in contaminated rodent droppings. While person-to-person spread is rare, it has been confirmed in this outbreak involving the Andes virus species. The World Health Organization's top epidemic expert says this is a serious disease but noted, "This is not the next COVID."
Protecting the public
What you can do:
The CDC urges any Americans remaining aboard the M/V Hondius to follow the specific guidance of health officials to ensure a safe return home. General information regarding symptoms and prevention can be found on the CDC’s official hantavirus website.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a Georgia Department of Public Health spokesperson and an official media statement from the CDC. Additional reporting was provided by the Associated Press, which cited information from the World Health Organization, the Dutch foreign ministry, and ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions.