Hantavirus in the US: Which States Are Monitoring MV Hondius Passengers

Last updated: May 7, 2026 · 12:00 UTC. Sources: Reuters citing CDC, CNN, WTOC, Virginia Department of Health, CDC Health Alert Network.

State-by-state status

State	Status	Source	Last updated
Georgia	Monitoring confirmed	WTOC / Georgia DPH	May 7, 2026
Virginia	Passenger confirmed aboard	VDH statement	May 7, 2026
Additional states (2+)	CDC monitoring — names not yet disclosed	Reuters citing CDC	May 7, 2026

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed monitoring of travelers linked to the MV Hondius Andes hantavirus cluster in at least three US states (per Reuters citing the CDC). Two of those states have been publicly named: Georgia (reported by WTOC with the Georgia Department of Public Health) and Virginia (the Virginia Department of Health has confirmed at least one returning passenger). The CDC has not publicly disclosed the remaining states involved in the monitoring effort.

How many Americans were aboard? Per CNN, MV Hondius carried approximately 17 American passengers and crew at the time of departure from Ushuaia on April 1, 2026, distributed across multiple states. The 23 nationalities aboard means the US contingent is one of the larger national groups under contact tracing.

What "monitoring" means in the US. The CDC's monitoring of MV Hondius contacts focuses on travelers who shared a flight with the confirmed Dutch nationals — including the April 25 Saint-Helena-to-Johannesburg connection and Amsterdam-bound onward flights — plus household contacts of returning passengers. Monitoring typically runs for the maximum hantavirus incubation period (around 6 weeks) and involves daily symptom self-reporting. No quarantine is required for asymptomatic contacts under current US guidance. State health departments coordinate the day-to-day check-ins.

No confirmed US cases. As of May 7, 2026 there are zero PCR-confirmed Andes hantavirus infections in the United States from this cluster. Monitoring is a precaution. The WHO Director-General's May 7 briefing assessed the general public health risk as LOW. Andes virus is the only hantavirus strain with documented person-to-person transmission, but secondary transmission requires close, prolonged contact — not casual contact in shared public spaces.

We will update this table as additional state health departments publish their status. If you are a returning MV Hondius passenger, follow CDC and your state health department's instructions; you should already have been contacted.