{Summary}
The ongoing multi-country outbreak of Andes hantavirus linked to an expedition cruise travel has drawn global public health attention. The outbreak was reported to the World Health Organization on 02 May 2026 after a cluster of severe respiratory illness occurred among passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius, which travelled across remote regions of the South Atlantic following departure from Ushuaia, Argentina. As of 18 May 2026, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported 12 cases, including nine confirmed, two probable, and one inconclusive case, as well as three deaths linked to the outbreak. While response efforts have appropriately focused on case detection, isolation, contact monitoring, and clinical management, the event highlights broader gaps in how emerging zoonotic threats are managed globally. Rather than viewing this solely as a cruise-associated outbreak, it should also be understood as a One Health warning signal emerging at the intersection of rodent ecology, environmental and climatic change, expedition tourism, and global human mobility.
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