The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (hereafter referred to as the CDC) said today (the 8th) that regarding online reports that “recently, international cruise ship passengers involved in a hantavirus Andes‑type cluster incident included Taiwanese citizens,” the CDC on May 7, 2026 sent letters to the National Focal Points (NFP) for the International Health Regulations (IHR) in the Netherlands and Argentina, as well as the WHO liaison offices, inquiring whether there were any Taiwanese passengers on the ship or who disembarked early on April 24 at Saint Helena. The IHR contacts in the Netherlands and Argentina replied that same afternoon, at about 11 a.m. and 9 a.m. respectively, informing that the passenger and crew lists they have contain no Taiwanese citizens.
The CDC explained that the cruise company (Oceanwide Expedition) released a press release on May 4 with the latest data, indicating that there were a total of 149 passengers and crew on board, none of whom were Taiwanese; a review of information disclosed at the WHO press conference on May 7 showed that the passengers who disembarked early on April 24 at Saint Helena came from 12 countries; and the Oceanwide Expedition press release on the same day also listed the nationalities of those passengers, with no Taiwanese.
The CDC emphasized that, based on the above information, it is sufficient to confirm that the anonymous passenger’s report to the Spanish authorities yesterday was misinformation; in fact, none of the cruise ship passengers hold Taiwanese nationality. The CDC will continue to work closely with WHO and the relevant countries to ensure the health and safety of our people.
Source: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control
Compiled by: Epidemiology Management Office
