Here are some terrific resources tracking the “Andes” hantavirus outbreak
I’ve been glued to the news about the Andes virus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius. If somehow you’ve not yet heard of Andes virus, it’s the only type of hantavirus that has been shown to spread from human to human, while most other hantaviruses spread only from direct contact with rodent droppings. Like all hantaviruses, Andes virus is serious and can cause illness and death — it has up to a 35 to 40% case fatality rate. It’s certainly nothing to minimize or laugh off, that’s for sure.
If you want to keep up with the latest on the MV Hondius outbreak, I’ve located two terrific resources that are tracking the currently known cases and the whereabouts of the folks who left the ship in the last few weeks, and those who are scheduled to do so upcoming days. These resources also provide detailed information about hantavirus in general, how to avoid it, what to do if you think you’ve been exposed, and more.
The first is a website called “HantaWatch,” and it’s specifically focused on the current MV Hondius outbreak. The website’s mission is to “provide real-time, accurate hantavirus outbreak information during the 2026 MV Hondius cruise ship crisis.” The website aggregates official data, including case numbers, mortality rates, health guidance, and more, from sources such as the WHO, CDC, other international health agencies, and verified news sites such as Live Science, Reuters, and more, in a format that’s accessible to the general public. The site also has a FAQ section, which answers questions about how hantavirus is spread, incubation periods, symptoms, and much more. It provides live updates (for instance, as of May 9, the ship is arriving at Tenerife for international evacuation of up to 140 passengers) and statistics on number of total cases (currently 8-9 total cases, 6 lab-confirmed or probable cases, 4+ suspected cases, and 3 deaths). The site also provides a very helpful timeline of the ongoing outbreak.
The second terrific resource is Hantavirus Map, which describes itself as a “signal-based view on hantavirus activity.” It provides a broader picture of hantavirus that includes data on historic cases and endemic zones. It also has a dedicated section focused on active alerts about the current MV Hondius outbreak. Like HantaWatch, the site aggregates data from sources such as the WHO, ProMED, CDC, ECDC, regional health agencies, verified news sources, and more. As suggested in the name, Hantavirus Map displays this data in a map containing three layers: endemic zones (”regions where hantavirus is known to circulate based on long-term epidemiology”), historical cases (”reported case counts per region” where “circle size scales with the number of cases”) and active alerts (”recent outbreak signals from official health bulletins and curated news”). It, too, includes a thorough FAQ section, a symptom timeline, and more.
I have found these websites extremely informative, and I hope you do, too. Go educate yourself, take smart precautions, and be safe out there, friends!
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