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Hantavirus live updates: Evacuations begin after MV Hondius arrives in Canary Islands

Teams will bring back Americans to the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska.

Last Updated: May 10, 2026, 10:18 AM EDT

Passengers onboard the MV Hondius cruise ship began disembarking on Sunday morning in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, where they were expected to continue on to charter flights back to their home countries.

The total number of confirmed and probable cases of hantavirus onboard the ship is eight, including two people confirmed to have died from the virus and one person who remains suspected to have died from the virus.

There are 17 U.S. citizens aboard the ship who will be returning to the United States. As of Saturday none of them had tested positive for the hantavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A CDC official said Saturday that the federal government doesn't plan to have the repatriated American cruise ship passengers quarantine upon arrival in the U.S.

May 8, 10:44 am

What is hantavirus and how does it spread?

Here's what you need to know about hantavirus including what it is, how it spreads, how it's treated and if there are any prevention methods:

What is hantavirus?

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause serious illnesses and death, according to the CDC.

Stock photo of a colorized electron micrograph of the Hantavirus.
Alfred Pasieka/Science Photo Lib/STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images

How does hantavirus spread?

Hantaviruses may also spread from person to person, but that also is rare and only suspected for one subtype from South America, according to the WHO.

Read more about hantavirus here.

May 08, 2026, 12:14 PM EDT

2 New Jersey residents being monitored for hantavirus

Two New Jersey residents -- who were not passengers on the cruise ship M/V Hondius -- are being monitored for possible hantavirus infections.

The state's health department was notified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the residents were potentially exposed to an infected cruise ship passenger during a flight. Neither individual is reporting symptoms.

This brings the total of U.S. residents under monitoring to at least nine across six states. None have shown any signs of illness at this time.

-ABC News' Youri Benadjaoud

May 08, 2026, 12:08 PM EDT

State Dept says it will arrange repatriation flight for Americans on ship

The State Department said Friday that it is in "direct communication with Americans on board" the Dutch cruise ship impacted by the hantavirus outbreak and "prepared to provide consular assistance as soon as the ship arrives in Tenerife, Spain."

The department added that it is arranging a repatriation flight to support the return of those American passengers.

A boat sails beside the cruise ship, MV Hondius, hit by Hantavirus as it is anchored off Cape Verde port, in Praia Port, Cape Verde, May 5, 2026.
Reuters TV via Reuters

The department said it was working in coordination with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Spanish government to plan for the transport of those passengers.

Additionally, the department said it is still "closely tracking the hantavirus outbreak" on the MV Hondius and remains in "close contact" with the cruise ship staff and international health authorities.

-ABC News' Shannon Kingston

May 08, 2026, 10:05 AM EDT

New hantavirus case reported in Spain

A woman in the Spanish province of Alicante has tested positive for a hantavirus infection, secretary of state for health, Javier Padilla, told reporters on Friday, according to Reuters.

The cruise ship MV Hondius leaves Praia, Cape Verde, May 6, 2026.
Stringer/Reuters

The unidentified patient was a passenger on the same flight as the woman who died in South Africa after leaving the ship, according to Padilla.

-ABC News' Zoe Magee

May 08, 2026, 6:24 AM EDT

MV Hondius expected to arrive at Granadilla Port on Sunday by noon

The MV Hondius is now expected to arrive at Granadilla Port on Sunday by 12 p.m. local time, but could be delayed depending on weather conditions, officials said.


The ship will not dock upon arrival but will be anchored, and all passengers will be wearing hazmat gear as they are transferred by boat to the port, according to a statement from the Canarias Region government.


The passengers will then be transferred by a bus that is escorted by authorities to the airport where they will begin boarding aircraft by nationality with 23 nationalities on board in total, officials said.


The ride between Granadilla Port and Tenerife South Airport is expected to last approximately 15 minutes and officials said that passengers, as well as the vessel, will be completely isolated from Canarian people and not affect any local infrastructure.

-ABC News' Aicha El Hammar Castano

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