WHO chief says "work not over" after evacuation of hantavirus-stricken ship

World WHO chief says "work not over" after evacuation of hantavirus-stricken cruise ship May 12, 2026 / 6:28 AM EDT / CBS/AFP Add CBS News on Google World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Tuesday that "our work is not over" to contain hantavirus after evacuations from a cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak of the illness. The fate of the MV Hondius has sparked international alarm after three passengers died in an outbreak of the rare virus for which no vaccines or specific treatments exist. Yet health officials have stressed that the global public health risk is low and rejected comparisons to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. "There is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak," Tedros told a joint news conference in Madrid with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at joint news conference in Madrid on May 12, 2026 with  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who isn't seen in this photo. Burak Akbulut / Anadolu via Getty Images "But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks," Tedros said. More than 120 passengers and crew on the MV Hondius were flown out from Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday and Monday, and countries have adopted different health measures for their returning evacuees. Most countries have followed the WHO's guidelines, which include a 42-day quarantine and constant monitoring of high-risk contacts. "I hope they (countries) will follow the advice and recommendations we are making," Tedros said in Madrid.Eighteen American passengers who were on the ship returned to the U.S. on Monday and are being monitored at medical facilities in Nebraska and Georgia.Jay Bhattacharya, the acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said it doesn't make sense to sound "a five-alarm fire bell" because the...