Andes hantavirus cluster reported on international cruise ship: Taiwan CDC forms task force and closely monitors situation

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) stated today (May 7) that the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a Disease Outbreak News report on May 4, 2026, regarding an Andes hantavirus cluster on the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius during its South Atlantic voyage. As of May 5, the WHO has identified eight cruise-related cases, including three deaths. Among the eight cases, three have been laboratory-confirmed as hantavirus infections, with two confirmed via genomic sequencing as Andes virus. Further sequencing is currently underway. WHO’s preliminary assessment suggests the most likely scenario is that a passenger contracted hantavirus through environmental exposure while traveling in Argentina or elsewhere in South America’s Southern Cone, then boarded the ship during the incubation period. The virus was subsequently transmitted through prolonged close contact, resulting in two confirmed cases and at least one suspected case. Based on current epidemiological and laboratory data, the WHO assesses the overall risk of this event as "moderate" for the cruise ship involved and "low" at the global level. Given that the outbreak remains confined to a single cruise s...