Utah resident is aboard MV Hondius amid hantavirus outbreak, DHHS confirms
May 8, 2026, 5:53 PM
The MV Hondius cruise ship departs the port in Praia, Cape Verde, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo, Misper Apawu)
(AP Photo, Misper Apawu)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health and Human Services said that at least one person aboard the MV Hondius, a cruise ship that experienced a hantavirus outbreak earlier this month, is a Utah resident.
According to a DHHS press release, this person is still aboard the cruise ship and is expected to disembark in the Canary Islands in the next few days. They are one of 17 U.S. citizens aboard the ship. At this time, it is unknown if they have been in contact with anyone who has contracted hantavirus.
When the person disembarks from the ship, “they will be escorted by federal officials to the National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska,” DHHS said. After that, the department will work “closely with any passengers from Utah to assure they return home safely.”
DHHS said this does not increase the probability of hantavirus spreading in Utah.
Related: What to know about hantavirus, the illness linked to a cruise ship outbreak
