Hantavirus – should the travel industry be worried? Travel advisors sound off

A rare virus linked to a deadly outbreak aboard an expedition cruise ship is not comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic, says the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Over the weekend, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO's director general, arrived in Spain and joined senior government officials in Tenerife to oversee the safe disembarkation ⁠of passengers and crew from the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, where hantavirus, a rodent-borne illness, has been linked to seven cases, including three deaths.

In a post on X, Ghebreyesus assured the public that the virus is not another round of COVID-19. 

"The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not dismiss it for a single moment,” he wrote. "But I need you to hear me clearly: This is not another COVID. The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now."

Although the Andes virus is not easily transmitted between people, health officials are nonetheless monitoring more than 140 passengers and crew aboard the Oceanwide Expeditions ship as a precaution.

And concerns extend to Canada. As reported by CBC News, four Canadian citizens who were aboard the ship landed in Victoria, B.C. on Sunday evening (May 10), where they will quarantine.

"This has undoubtedly been a stressful and difficult experience for the Canadians and everybody aboard the MV Hondius," said B.C's health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry at a news conference.

"They are undoubtedly looking forward to being back home in Canada, where they can get the care and monitoring they need."

In a Sunday bulletin, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said the Canadians were first travelling on a chartered aircraft from Tenerife, Spain to Bagotville, QC.

"Upon arrival in B.C., the travellers will be assessed by local public health before leaving the airport to stay at a pre-determined location to self-isolate for a minimum of 21 days" dated back to May 6, the agency said.

Health officials are proceeding as though the passengers may have been exposed to the virus, though none have developed symptoms so far.

“Secure plans are in place” to protect the public if anyone becomes sick, noted Dr. Henry.

Meanwhile, U.S. and Nebraska health officials said Monday that 18 American passengers were evacuated from the vessel and are now isolating in Nebraska and Georgia.

“Is this pandemic number two?”

It marks the first outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the World Health Organization (WHO).

Still, as the news spreads globally, it could rekindle pandemic-era anxieties, recalling how COVID-19 brought the travel industry — especially the cruise sector — to a near halt in 2020.

Should the travel industry be worried?

Ontario-based travel advisor Cynthia Davidson, owner of Rivers, Oceans and Expeditions, is an expedition specialist who, prior to joining the travel industry, studied medical laboratory sciences.

She says the hantavirus is “something we need to keep our eye on,” and at this point, it’s a “wait and see” situation.

“I’m hoping that the [impacted] people quarantine, stay where they need to stay, and that it doesn’t go beyond that,” said Davidson, speaking to PAX over the phone Monday morning (May 11).

Davidson, who specializes in small ship and adventure-focused travel, says she hasn’t received any cancellations – yet – from clients who are travelling soon.

But she’s fielding questions. “I’ve had some clients reach out and ask, “What do you think?’ Is this pandemic number two?” she said.

Davidson’s past experience in laboratory sciences has allowed her to communicate some facts – notably, that the hantavirus isn’t transmitted the same way as COVID.

“I’ve worked in medicine and hantavirus is very rare,” she said.

Still, the travel industry isn’t out of the woods just yet because viruses can mutate. “Another month will tell,” she said.

Despite some headlines linking viruses to ship travel, Davidson says she’s still booking cruises.

“I, myself, am going to Alaska in ten days. Am I worried? No,” she said.

“A rare but severe disease”

Prior to the outbreak, the MV Hondius, a 107.6-metre polar expedition ship with 80 cabins, was running a 24-day "Atlantic Odyssey" voyage.

The journey began in Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, 2026, and featured stops in remote, ecologically diverse South Atlantic and African locations before a medical emergency diverted the ship to Europe.

According to WHO, illnesses began surfacing on board between April 6-28 and was characterized by fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock.

The outbreak is now being managed through coordinated international response, and includes in-depth investigations, case isolation and care, medical evacuation and laboratory investigations, says WHO.

Human hantavirus infection is primarily acquired through contact with the urine, faeces, or saliva of infected rodents, and symptoms usually show up between one and eight weeks after exposure.

“It is a rare but severe disease that can be deadly,” says WHO.

“They’re being transparent”

Watching the situation unfold, Davidson thinks Oceanwide Expeditions has done their “absolute best” in handling the “serious situation.”

“Every time I open my social media, there is an update,” she said. “They’re being transparent and honest about it. Most cruise lines follow very strict health and safety protocols.”

From a business standpoint, one concern she has is how the story will be portrayed by mainstream media and amplified on social media.

“Headlines say one thing, but the real story says another,” she said.

The growing spread of online misinformation, fuelled in part by AI-generated imagery, is also alarming. “Each day, I’m sourcing accurate information, verifying if what I’m reading is real, or overblown,” Davidson said.

The starting point for the hantavirus, and how it surfaced on the MV Hondius, hasn’t been 100 per cent confirmed.

Some theories suggest a passenger may have contracted the virus at a landfill site outside Ushuaia – a location, often called "'The End of the World," that's frequented by tourists for birdwatching and known to attract rats and mice because of the garbage.

Anonymous Argentine officials quoted by several outlets have reportedly described this as the leading possibility.

Local authorities, however, have denied these claims.

"In Tierra del Fuego we have no record of hantavirus cases in our history," said Juan Facundo Petrina, the province's Director General of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, as reported by the BBC.

"And specifically, since 1996 - when the National Surveillance System included it among mandatory reporting diseases - we haven't had a single case in Tierra del Fuego."

Meanwhile, Davidson is already seeing social media posts claiming that the MV Hondius had rats on board. 

“You have to be careful with information and where it’s being sourced from,” she said.

Don’t panic

Ottawa-based Sheila Gallant-Halloran of Lush Life Travel, which specializes in river cruises and expeditions, is also monitoring the situation closely. 

“I do have clients currently booked to Antarctica, and thus far none have raised concerns directly with me – though, like me, they are certainly following the news coverage,” Gallant-Halloran told PAX on Monday. 

Gallant-Halloran thinks most advisors and expedition operators are watching carefully “rather than panicking.”

“Obviously, seeing the ship divert from Cape Verde to Tenerife for disembarkation, along with reports involving the British paratroopers in Tristan da Cunha, signalled this was not viewed as a routine onboard illness situation,” she said.

“At this stage, I think many of us are watching what guidance comes from WHO and how Canadian public health authorities respond before drawing broader conclusions about traveller impact or industry concern. But, obviously, it’s very upsetting to hear of the deaths and illnesses.”

She, too, believes Oceanwide Expeditions “has done everything right” in following protocols and informing the public.

“It’s a shame some news commentators are blaming the cruise line,” she said.

Becky Kershaw, a cruise specialist with The Travel Agent Next Door, hasn’t received any questions from her clients at this point – but is preparing for potential concerns should they arise.

“As a certified travel consultant, it is my duty to inform my clients of any issues that may affect their wellbeing while travelling,” she said.  “I will be continually monitoring this issue, and if our government issues a warning for travellers, then I will inform my clients.”

“For now, I will continue to monitor as we don’t want to cause concern unless needed. It’s a concern for what harm it will do to the cruise industry as a whole. We shouldn’t worry people unless it’s necessary.”

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.