5th CA Resident Linked To Hantavirus Outbreak On Cruise Ship

A fifth California resident with potential exposure to Andes hantavirus has been identified in connection with the deadly outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. That person has since left California again and is now in the remote Pitcairn Islands in the South Pacific, the California Department of Public Health said Wednesday.

The CDC notified CDPH of the new case. The individual had left the ship before the outbreak was identified, briefly returned to California, then departed for additional travel — also before the outbreak was known. According to CDPH, the person remains in the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory, where their health is being monitored by the CDC in coordination with British health officials. They have no symptoms.

The World Health Organization confirmed that the situation has already claimed the lives of three people, and this recent development brings the total number of Californians to five undergoing public health monitoring linked to the hantavirus outbreak that has killed at least three people worldwide, according to CDPH.

Where the five Californians are now:

Of the remaining four, two are back home in California — one in Santa Clara County and one in Sacramento County — state health officials said. Both are asymptomatic and in close contact with local public health officials. They have been directed to limit their interactions with others.

Two additional California residents are being housed at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, CDPH said. Both are also asymptomatic. The agency said it does not yet have information about when those individuals will return to California.

No illnesses, but monitoring continues:

California's health department stressed that there are no confirmed cases of Andes hantavirus disease among any California residents — or any U.S. residents — at this time. All five individuals undergoing monitoring remain symptom-free as of May 13.

The situation remains fluid. Symptoms can incubate for up to six weeks after exposure, meaning the monitoring period for those who disembarked the ship on April 24 could extend into early June, according to the CDC.

Background on the outbreak:

The MV Hondius, operated by Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, departed from Argentina earlier this year. The first passenger death was recorded April 11. Three people have since died — including a Dutch couple and a German woman, according to the World Health Organization. At least five confirmed infections have been tied to the ship, with investigations focusing on Argentina as the likely source of exposure, according to the WHO.

The Andes virus, detected in passengers, is the only known hantavirus strain thought to spread person-to-person, according to the CDC.

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Forty-six people from 23 countries remain aboard the vessel under strict precautionary measures, Oceanwide Expeditions said. None are currently symptomatic, the WHO said.

However, none of the remaining passengers or crew on the ship are currently symptomatic, WHO officials said Thursday.

Three people, including the ship's doctor, were evacuated while the ship was near the West African island country of Cape Verde and taken to specialized hospitals in Europe for treatment.

Hantavirus is relatively rare, with fewer than a thousand people infected every year, but about a third of cases result in death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The death of Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, in February 2025 from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome significantly increased public awareness of the rare disease. That same year, three people in the rural California town of Mammoth Lakes died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

WHO has characterized the broader public risk as low, noting that hantavirus does not spread easily between people and is typically contracted through contact with contaminated rodent droppings.

“We believe this will be a limited outbreak if the public health measures are implemented and solidarity is shown across all countries,” said Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, the WHO's alert and response director.

CDPH said it remains in close contact with the CDC and WHO and will update information as the situation evolves. Information in this story is current as of May 13.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.