{"id":1921657,"date":"2026-05-06T22:12:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1921657"},"modified":"2026-05-06T22:12:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T19:12:52","slug":"23-hantavirus-cruise-passengers-went-home-before-who-stepped-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1921657","title":{"rendered":"23 Hantavirus Cruise Passengers Went Home Before WHO Stepped In"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/imagez.tmz.com\/image\/5f\/16by9\/2026\/05\/06\/5f5778777c2a4ac69d6e38fb8098e56c_xl.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"article article--permalink \">\n<header class=\"article__header\">\n<h1 class=\"article__header--headline-title\">23 Hantavirus Cruise Passengers Went Home Before WHO Stepped In<\/h1>\n<h2 class=\"article__header--headline-fragments\"><span class=\"article__header--hf1 text-uppercase h3\">Cruise Ship Virus Outbreak<\/span><span class=\"article__header--hf2 text-uppercase h1\">23 Passengers Traveled Home Across Globe &#8230;<\/span><span class=\"article__header--hf3 text-none h2\">Before WHO Warning<\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"social-media-container\" role=\"region\">\n<ul class=\"social social--sm\">\n<li class=\"social-item\">\n<li class=\"social-item\">\n<li class=\"social-item\"><\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tmz.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"js-track-link\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"google-preferred-btn\" src=\"https:\/\/static.tmz.com\/tmz-web\/img\/article\/google-preferred-source.png\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"byline\">By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/pages\/about\/\">TMZ Staff<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"date-wrapper\">\n                                                                        Published <time class=\"published-datetime\" datetime=\"2026-05-06T15:12:52-07:00\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/sitemaps\/article\/202605\"><br \/>\n                May 6, 2026<br \/>\n                <\/a><br \/>\n                            3:12 PM PDT<\/time><span class=\"divider\">|<\/span><br \/>\n                                                                Updated <time class=\"updated-datetime\" datetime=\"2026-05-06T16:15:11-07:00\"><br \/>\n                                  May 6, 2026<br \/>\n                                4:15 PM PDT<\/time><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article__blocks clearfix\">\n<section id=\"cb-e6faffd6d7101f22fa236d0d1fb18a4d\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-image-block canvas-image-block-permalink canvas-image-block--default  canvas-block-is-first \">\n<div class=\"image-block\"><a class=\"js-click-image js-track-link image-lightbox-preview\" data-node-ref=\"tmz:image-asset:image_jpg_20260506_5f5778777c2a4ac69d6e38fb8098e56c\" data-container-ref=\"tmz:article:e8ca4bd0-4d31-4b04-92ca-b0e30c002697\" data-context='{\"section\":\"permalink\",\"name\":\"image\"}'><\/p>\n<div class=\"img-wrapper\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/imagez.tmz.com\/image\/5f\/4by3\/2026\/05\/06\/5f5778777c2a4ac69d6e38fb8098e56c_md.jpg\" alt=\"Hondius ship hazmat getty 1\" width=\"728\" height=\"546\" class=\"img-fluid image-block__img-fluid img-aspect-auto\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"image-block__card-footer\"><span class=\"media-credit image-block__media-credit\">Getty<\/span><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"cb-40700b2969123e4137f9c26c9071563d\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-text-block canvas-text-block-permalink canvas-text-block--default  \" data-context='{\"section\":\"permalink\",\"name\":\"text_block\"}'>\n<p>A deadly virus outbreak aboard a cruise ship may have spread far beyond the vessel itself &#8230; because nearly two dozen passengers reportedly wandered across the globe before health officials finally tracked them down.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"cb-f4844de49c548207ed903178fc7bff1d\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-text-block canvas-text-block-permalink canvas-text-block--default  \" data-context='{\"section\":\"permalink\",\"name\":\"text_block\"}'>\n<p>According to reporting from Spanish newspaper <a href=\"https:\/\/english.elpais.com\/international\/2026-05-06\/spanish-passenger-on-the-hondius-there-are-23-people-who-got-off-on-saint-helena-and-have-been-wandering-around.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>El Pa\u00eds<\/strong><\/a>, 23 passengers aboard the MV Hondius got off the ship during a stop on the remote Atlantic island of Saint Helena in April &#8212; despite the fact people onboard had already gotten sick and at least one passenger had died.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"cb-bad85fbb54ea65df6972dae55bcd1a26\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-image-block canvas-image-block-permalink canvas-image-block--default  \">\n<div class=\"image-block\"><a class=\"js-click-image js-track-link image-lightbox-preview\" data-node-ref=\"tmz:image-asset:image_jpg_20260504_78ab5c26216244529514b86ed7ef2948\" data-container-ref=\"tmz:article:e8ca4bd0-4d31-4b04-92ca-b0e30c002697\" data-context='{\"section\":\"permalink\",\"name\":\"image\"}'><\/p>\n<div class=\"img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imagez.tmz.com\/image\/78\/4by3\/2026\/05\/04\/78ab5c26216244529514b86ed7ef2948_md.jpg\" alt=\"MV Hondius Cruise SHIP getty 1\" width=\"728\" height=\"546\" class=\"img-fluid image-block__img-fluid img-aspect-auto\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"image-block__card-footer\"><span class=\"media-credit image-block__media-credit\">Getty<\/span><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"cb-1099ae09e314a2f84a19619b7a08ce73\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-text-block canvas-text-block-permalink canvas-text-block--default  \" data-context='{\"section\":\"permalink\",\"name\":\"text_block\"}'>\n<p>A Spanish passenger still aboard the ship told the outlet the travelers had no clue they may have been exposed to hantavirus &#8212; a potentially deadly disease with a mortality rate WHO reports could be as high as 40% &#8212; when they disembarked and headed home.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"cb-0f0ac2220ee358ecce304253c2d02cee\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-text-block canvas-text-block-permalink canvas-text-block--default  \" data-context='{\"section\":\"permalink\",\"name\":\"text_block\"}'>\n<p>The passenger claimed the group scattered internationally &#8230; returning to North America, Australia, Taiwan, England, the Netherlands and beyond. One of the passengers who got off the vessel has reportedly since been hospitalized in Switzerland and tested positive for hantavirus.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"cb-507850a2245112296d2c8594fb2d692a\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-text-block canvas-text-block-permalink canvas-text-block--default  \" data-context='{\"section\":\"permalink\",\"name\":\"text_block\"}'>\n<p>Even more alarming &#8230; the passenger claims health authorities and the World Health Organization allegedly didn&#8217;t begin contacting some of the former passengers until this week &#8212; more than two weeks after they left the ship.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"cb-5e0d2a3757a5c9a007465991989545d0\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-gallery-block canvas-gallery-block-permalink canvas-gallery-block--default  \">\n<div class=\"gallery-block\"><a id=\"gallery-link-5183e8c6-517e-44dd-8fcb-01dbe28ce497\" class=\"media-link gallery-block__link js-track-link js-click-gallery\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/photos\/2025\/09\/10\/life-on-a-cruise-ship\/\" data-node-ref=\"tmz:gallery:5183e8c6-517e-44dd-8fcb-01dbe28ce497\" data-context='{\"name\":\"gallery-block\",\"section\":\"permalink\"}' data-container-ref=\"tmz:article:e8ca4bd0-4d31-4b04-92ca-b0e30c002697\" data-gallery-layout=\"carousel\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/imagez.tmz.com\/image\/f8\/4by3\/2025\/09\/10\/f882739f5b8d4667bd45f292bc96c6a9_md.jpg\" alt=\"Life On A Cruise Ship\" width=\"728\" height=\"546\" class=\"img-fluid gallery-block__img-fluid img-aspect-4by3\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"media-icon--overlay gallery-block__media-icon--overlay\"><span class=\"media-icon-label gallery-block__media-icon-label\">Launch Gallery<\/span><\/div>\n<footer class=\"media-footer gallery-block__media-footer\"><span class=\"media-launch-text gallery-block__media-launch-text\">Life On A Cruise Ship<\/span><span class=\"media-cta gallery-block__media-cta\"><br \/>\n              Launch Gallery<br \/>\n              <\/span><\/footer>\n<p><span class=\"media-credit gallery-block__media-credit\">Getty<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"cb-75ee6d17430180be2556e4437c941117\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-text-block canvas-text-block-permalink canvas-text-block--default  \" data-context='{\"section\":\"permalink\",\"name\":\"text_block\"}'>\n<p>Hantavirus is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hantavirus\/about\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>caused by contact<\/strong><\/a> with infected mouse or rat feces and urine. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/emergencies\/disease-outbreak-news\/item\/2026-DON599\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>WHO confirmed<\/strong><\/a> Wednesday the outbreak onboard the Hondius involves the Andes virus strain &#8212; the only known hantavirus capable of spreading from person to person through close and prolonged contact involving bodily fluids.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"cb-a72bbbcaaf2424d3d52af1d69ff9e757\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-text-block canvas-text-block-permalink canvas-text-block--default  \" data-context='{\"section\":\"permalink\",\"name\":\"text_block\"}'>\n<p>So far, there are eight total cases linked to the outbreak &#8230; including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/2026\/05\/06\/cruise-ship-evacuates-passengers-after-hantavirus-outbreak\/\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><strong>three infections<\/strong><\/a> from passengers who were evacuated on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"cb-2ed7199110a97aee67fd5ecbff157606\" class=\"canvas-block canvas-block-permalink canvas-text-block canvas-text-block-permalink canvas-text-block--default  canvas-block-is-last \" data-context='{\"section\":\"permalink\",\"name\":\"text_block\"}'>\n<p>Meanwhile, most of the remaining passengers aboard the ship are still reportedly under strict isolation and hygiene measures as officials try to contain the outbreak.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<ul class=\"social social--permalink\">\n<li class=\"social__item social__item--3items\"><a class=\"btn social__btn social__btn--facebook js-track-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/2026\/05\/06\/cruise-virus-outbreak-23-passengers-went-worldwide\/\" data-node-ref=\"tmz:article:e8ca4bd0-4d31-4b04-92ca-b0e30c002697\" data-context='{\"section\":\"main\",\"name\":\"facebook-footer\",\"pos\":1}'><br \/>\n                Share<span class=\"social__hide-sm\"> on Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li 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href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/categories\/news\/\" data-context='{\"section\":\"main\",\"name\":\"tag-cloud\",\"pos\":5}'><br \/>\n                News<br \/>\n              <\/a><\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/2026\/05\/06\/cruise-virus-outbreak-23-passengers-went-worldwide\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/imagez.tmz.com\/image\/5f\/16by9\/2026\/05\/06\/5f5778777c2a4ac69d6e38fb8098e56c_xl.jpg&#8221;] 23 Hantavirus Cruise Passengers Went Home Before WHO Stepped In Cruise Ship Virus Outbreak23 Passengers Traveled Home Across Globe &#8230;Before WHO Warning By TMZ Staff Published May 6, 2026 3:12 PM PDT| Updated May 6, 2026 4:15 PM PDT Getty A deadly virus outbreak aboard a cruise ship may have spread far [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,77],"class_list":["post-1921657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tmz-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1921657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1921657"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1921657\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1921657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1921657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1921657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}