WHO Says Hantavirus Risk Is Low as Passengers Prepare to Leave Ship

Nearly 150 people from 23 countries have been stranded at sea on the MV Hondius cruise ship after an outbreak of hantavirus.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom speaks to the media after inspecting the preparations at the reception point for passengers from the MV Hondius at the Granadilla Port in Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands, Spain, on May 09, 2026. Chris McGrath/Getty Images

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on May 9 that hantavirus “is not another COVID” situation and suggested that the public health risk will remain low, as about 150 people prepare to exit an outbreak-ridden cruise ship.

The United Nations agency, which is responsible for global public health, acknowledged that the outbreak of hantavirus on the cruise ship, the MV Hondius, was “serious” but will likely not affect locals as they move passengers from the vessel to Spain’s Canary Islands on May 10, according to a statement on May 9 by WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.