Posted on 05/08/2026 8:08:47 PM PDT by Red Badger
Four states are monitoring Americans who returned from a cruise ship where three passengers died during an outbreak of hantavirus.
Virginia, Georgia, California, and Arizona all reported that residents of those states were on the MV Hondius, have returned home, but are not showing symptoms of the illness, according to Newsweek.
The Virginia passenger “is currently in good health, not showing any signs of infection, and is under public health monitoring,” the state’s Department of Health said.
“Generally speaking, we believe the risk to the general public to be low,” a representative of the department added.
An Arizona Department of Health Services representative said the passenger that came back to Arizona “is not symptomatic and is being monitored by public health,” the representative said.
California officials said they were told travelers had returned to the state, and confirmed the risk to residents was low.
The Georgia Department of Public Health said it is monitoring two residents who returned home from the ship, saying they likewise show no signs of an infection.
Three passengers of the ship have died, while multiple others were taken ill.
Hantavirus generally spreads by inhaling rodent droppings, although one variant can be transmitted from person to person.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the “administration is closely monitoring the situation with U.S. travelers onboard the M/V Hondius cruise ship with confirmed hantavirus.”
The State Department is leading a “coordinated, whole-of-government response including direct contact with passengers, diplomatic coordination, and engagement with domestic and international health authorities,” the CDC said.
“At this time, the risk to the American public is extremely low. We urge all Americans aboard the ship to follow the guidance of health officials as we work to bring you home safely,” the statement continued.
Passengers from at least 12 countries left the cruise ship on the South Atlantic island of St. Helena on April 24, almost two weeks after the first passenger died.
The Dutch health ministry said a female flight attendant who was not on the ship is being tested for hantavirus and is in isolation after having contact with an infected person aboard a KLM plane.
A Swiss man who left the ship has tested positive for the virus.
The ship is heading for the Canary Islands, where about 90 passengers on board will be able to leave the ship, according to the New York Post.
Officials believe the outbreak began when two Dutch passengers were infected during a wildlife expedition, according to USA Today.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
Cruises seem to be a Petrie-dish.
“Oh steward!”
I’ve been doing spring cleaning. Found a pack of godforsaken masks we bought, found a few masks I made, and tutorials I saved from the internet. They are G-O-N-E gone.
(I did save one I had cross-stitched with “TYRANNY” on it, just as a “never again!” reminder.)
Just the Andean form is............at least that’s what they tell us.............
Gtfo, its not that contagious, not known to spread human to human and is treatable
I guess them cruise ships gotta stop using rat lines to tether up - and stop using ports where there’s huge rat infestations.
Glad someone got the Hodno reference.
They said that the virus was contracted on a shore excursion birdwatching at a landfill, aka garbage dump!.............
I live in Northern CaCaLand. Every year or so a “neighbor” comes down with HVirus. Been happening for decades. Don’t piddle around near rodent poo and you will not contract.
Just another made up scare by that terrorist in charge of WHO, for $$.
NEVER AGAIN will I be FORCED to wear a MASK! NEVER!
Kelly Clarkson - Never Again (Official Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVYesEpMr84
If you watched the “Never Again” video, you will understand the intensity with which I said “I will NEVER AGAIN be forced to wear a mask”
BTTT.
“They said that the virus was contracted on a shore excursion birdwatching at a landfill, aka garbage dump!.............”
I did a search - there are around 200K cases a year worldwide - with the vast majority in China - the country that once tried to sell citizens that rats were good sources of protein to try to alleviate a severe rat infestation.
There are about 150-200 cases a year of a slightly different strain in N. and S. America, with the majority in S. America.
And now, the useless WHO wants the world to kneel before it to stop this nothingburger of a “problem”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.