A US national evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius has tested positive for hantavirus, while another passenger showed mild symptoms during a repatriation flight from Spain, US health officials said. The passengers are travelling in biocontainment units as a precaution and will undergo medical screening upon arrival in Nebraska. The outbreak aboard the ship has already claimed three lives, including a Dutch couple and a German woman. Health authorities say the risk of widespread transmission remains low, although concerns persist over the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can spread between humans in rare cases. Several countries are now monitoring evacuated passengers. (PC: BBC)

The Dutch expedition cruise ship MV Hondius, linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, has arrived near Spain’s Canary Islands under strict international health protocols. India’s embassy in Madrid confirmed that the two Indian nationals onboard are healthy and asymptomatic. The outbreak has killed three passengers and infected several others with the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, which can spread through rodents and, in rare cases, between humans. The World Health Organization and Spanish authorities are closely monitoring passengers and crew while coordinating evacuation and quarantine measures. Health experts stressed that the overall global public health risk remains low despite international concern over the outbreak. (PC: NDTV)

Scientists are warning that climate change and global heating may increase human exposure to hantavirus by altering rodent habitats and boosting their populations. The concern follows a deadly outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius, where several passengers were infected with the Andes strain, a rare form capable of limited human-to-human transmission. Experts say droughts followed by heavy rainfall create ideal conditions for rodents to multiply, increasing infection risks. Argentina, currently under scrutiny, reported 101 hantavirus cases and 32 deaths since July 2025. The World Health Organization stressed that the virus is not easily spread and the overall global public health risk remains low. (PC: Reuters)

Passengers aboard the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius began evacuating in Tenerife after a deadly hantavirus outbreak killed three people and infected several others. The ship, carrying passengers from over 20 countries, was quarantined following confirmed cases linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can rarely spread between humans. Spanish authorities launched a tightly controlled evacuation with health screenings, quarantine measures, and special repatriation flights. The WHO and European health agencies said the overall public risk remains low, though all passengers are being treated as high-risk contacts. Investigators are still tracing the outbreak’s origin, believed to be linked to infected rodents in Argentina. (PC: AP)

British Army medics parachuted onto the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha to assist a British national with suspected hantavirus linked to the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. The man, who lives on the island, developed symptoms weeks after leaving the vessel and is currently stable in isolation. The UK military also air-dropped oxygen supplies after stocks on the island reached critical levels. Six hantavirus cases have been confirmed so far, including two Britons receiving treatment in South Africa and the Netherlands. Authorities said the risk to the wider public remains very low. (PC: BBC)

Spanish medical teams are preparing to receive the MV Hondius in Tenerife, Spain, after three passengers died from the rare Andes strain of hantavirus. The cruise ship arrived after weeks at sea and will remain isolated in the port of Granadilla. Doctors in Spain will examine all passengers and crew before they disembark. More than 100 people from 23 countries will be flown home on charter planes. The World Health Organization said the risk to the public in Spain is low. Spanish hospitals are on standby. Around 30 crew members will stay on board and sail the ship to the Netherlands. (PC: BBC)

Scientists in Thailand have discovered a new coronavirus in bats that may be able to infect humans. The virus belongs to the sarbecovirus family, which includes the viruses that caused SARS and Covid-19. Researchers found that the virus can attach to human ACE2 receptors, which help viruses enter cells. However, there is no evidence that the virus has infected humans or is spreading among people. Scientists said there is no immediate danger. They stressed the need to monitor bat viruses closely. The study highlights the importance of wildlife surveillance and global preparedness to prevent possible future outbreaks and protect public health worldwide.

The World Health Organization has clarified that the recent hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius is not comparable to Covid-19 or influenza, stressing that the virus spreads very differently. WHO officials said the Andes strain involved can pass between humans only through prolonged close contact, unlike airborne viruses such as Covid. The outbreak has so far caused three deaths and several confirmed infections across multiple countries. Health authorities are tracing passengers and monitoring possible exposures after some travelers disembarked before quarantine measures began. WHO believes the outbreak remains limited and manageable, though additional cases may still emerge due to the virus’s long incubation period. (PC: NDTV)

The World Health Organization said the current Hantavirus outbreak is not similar to Covid-19 and is unlikely to become a pandemic. WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said hantavirus spreads very differently and mainly requires close and prolonged contact. The outbreak is linked to a cruise ship and involves the Andes strain, which can rarely spread between humans. WHO officials said public health measures like contact tracing and isolation can stop further spread. The organisation added that the risk to the public remains low. Hantavirus usually spreads through contact with infected rodent urine, saliva or droppings.

A third UK national is suspected to have contracted Hantavirus linked to an outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius. The person is currently on the remote island of Tristan da Cunha. Two other UK nationals have confirmed infections and are being treated in the Netherlands and South Africa. Five hantavirus cases have been confirmed so far, including one passenger who died. UK health officials said British passengers returning from the ship may need to isolate for 45 days. The World Health Organization called the outbreak a serious incident but said the risk to the public remains low. (PC: Reuters)