The Outbreak Has Moved From A Cruise Ship To A Cabin At 35,000 Feet And Maryland Health Officials Are Tracking Two Residents Who Were Never On The Ship At All
This article was compiled and made possible with the help of the following source(s): CBS News.
The MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak has now reached Maryland through an unexpected route. Not the ocean. A commercial flight.
The Maryland Department of Health confirmed on May 11, 2026 that two state residents are under monitoring for potential hantavirus exposure after travelling on a flight that included an infected passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship. Neither Maryland resident was aboard the ship. Their exposure occurred entirely in the air.
Health officials stressed that the current public risk in Maryland remains very low. The state has recorded no hantavirus cases since 2019, and Andes virus, the specific strain driving the MV Hondius outbreak, has never previously been detected in Maryland.
The Andes virus is the only known hantavirus strain capable of spreading between people. The CDC classifies it as a severe and potentially deadly disease affecting the lungs, with a case fatality rate of up to 38 percent for those who develop respiratory symptoms. The incubation period ranges from four to 42 days.
Seventeen Americans and one dual British-American citizen were evacuated from the MV Hondius, which carried approximately 150 passengers from more than 15 countries. Three people connected to the outbreak have died.
Maryland health officials are now coordinating with federal and international authorities, including the CDC and the World Health Organization.
This is not COVID. But it is spreading far beyond the ship. Like this news story that tracks the Hantavirus globally? Check out our previous detailed analysis article on the same topic here.
