Possible Flight-Related Hantavirus Case Emerges After Cruise Ship Outbreak

Update 5/7/2026: Several media outlets reported yesterday that a French resident who shared a flight with the Dutch woman was suspected of having hantavirus. However, a spokesperson for the WHO told Gizmodo Wednesday that they had not confirmed this. It now appears this report was the result of a translation error, since other outlets have reported that French officials detected a “contact case” linked to the flight, likely meaning this person is being monitored out of precaution, not because they were actively showing signs of infection. There’s good and bad news on the hantavirus cruise ship front. As of Wednesday morning, health officials have finally identified the exact species of hantavirus responsible for the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius. Additionally, three people suspected of having the disease have been medically evacuated—including the ship’s doctor. On the more negative side, however, a French citizen may have contracted the virus from a flight they shared with an infected Hondius passenger—seemingly the first case transmitted person-to-person outside the ship. The patients “are on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands in coordination with WHO, the ship