Hantavirus is a virus harboured by rodents such as mice and rats. Human infections are rare and usually caused by the inhalation of airborne particles from rodent droppings or urine. Further human-to-human spread is rarer still, historically requiring very close contact such as bed-sharing, sex or health-care interactions.
There are many strains, each harboured by different species. The Andes strain, found in rodents in Argentina, is known to spread between people. It starts with flu-like symptoms but can progress to severe breathing problems requiring intensive care; the mortality rate can be as high as 50%. The longest known incubation period is eight weeks.
On April 1st 2026 MV Hondius, a cruise ship carrying around 150 passengers and crew, set sail from Argentina towards Cape Verde. By early May an outbreak of the Andes strain was reported on board. As of May 6th three cases were confirmed and five suspected; three people died. The wife of the first passenger to die was also infected, raising concerns about human-to-human transmission in cramped cabins and common areas. The WHO brokered a plan for passengers to disembark in the Canary Islands around May 10th, with Spanish nationals quarantined at a military hospital and others repatriated if asymptomatic.
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