CDC: Risk of Cruise Ship Hantavirus Spreading to U.S. Public Is ‘Low’
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified the hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship as “Level 3” – the lowest level of emergency activation in the agency’s hierarchy of responses.
That, according to ABC sources, signifies the risk to the general public “remains low,” though the outbreak is currently being actively monitored by the public health agency, which has also “activated” its Emergency Operations Centers in response to the threat.
The hantavirus linked to the cruise ship outbreak is the Andes virus which, is the only type that can spread from person to person. This is rare and typically limited to close, prolonged contact. At this time, there is no indication of wider community spread.… pic.twitter.com/trITDS0dYS
— CDC (@CDCgov) May 8, 2026
Spanish authorities on Friday were preparing to receive more than 140 passengers and crew members on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands, an outbreak which has generated headlines in both the United States and Europe.
There are an estimated 17 Americans aboard the ship, CNN reported.
ABC7 reported that the agency will be dispatching personnel to the Canary Islands for the ship’s arrival on Sunday. Any Americans onboard will be taken to a National Quarantine Unit in Nebraska. (Read more from “CDC: Risk of Cruise Ship Hantavirus Spreading to U.S. Public Is ‘Low’” HERE)
