3 passengers, French and American, test positive or have symptoms of hantavirus after evacuation

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A French woman and two Americans tested positive or showed symptoms of hantavirus Monday as nations around the world scrambled to repatriate passengers from a cruise ship hit by an outbreak and quarantine or isolate them.

Passengers from the ship began flying home aboard military and government planes Sunday after the vessel anchored in the Canary Islands. Personnel in full-body protective gear and breathing masks had escorted the travelers from ship to shore in Tenerife in an effort that was continuing Monday.

The French woman tested positive for hantavirus and her health worsened in the hospital overnight, French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said Monday. The woman was among five French passengers repatriated Sunday to Paris from the MV Hondius. She developed symptoms on the flight to Paris, Rist told public broadcaster France-Inter.

One the 17 American passengers evacuated from the ship and flown to Nebraska also tested positive for the hantavirus but is not showing any symptoms, and another had mild symptoms, U.S. health officials said late Sunday. The flight landed in the early hours of Monday morning and stopped near awaiting buses and police vehicles.

The Americans would first be taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which has a federally funded quarantine facility, to assess whether they have been in close contact with any symptomatic people and their risk levels for spreading the virus.

“One passenger will be transported to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival, while other passengers will go to the National Quarantine Unit for assessment and monitoring. The passenger who is going to the Biocontainment Unit tested positive for the virus but does not have symptoms,” said Kayla Thomas, a spokesperson for the Nebraska Medicine hospital that will help care for the passengers.

The medical school also has a special unit for treating people with highly infectious diseases that was used early in the pandemic for COVID-19 patients and previously for Ebola patients.

The World Health Organization recommended close monitoring of the former passengers, and many countries quarantined them.

Earlier, officials from the Spanish Health Ministry, the World Health Organization and the cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions had said none of the more than 140 people who were then on the Hondius had shown symptoms of the virus.

All of the passengers were escorted Sunday from the ship to shore by personnel in full-body protective gear and breathing masks. The planes arriving in Tenerife were to fly out passengers from more than 20 countries in an evacuation effort that was running into Monday.

Three people have died since the outbreak began, and five people who left the ship earlier were infected.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stressed that the general public should not be worried about the outbreak. “This is not another COVID. And the risk to the public is low. So they shouldn’t be scared, and they shouldn’t panic," he said Sunday.

Hantavirus usually spreads from rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people. But the Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases. Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.

WHO is recommending that passengers’ home countries “have active monitoring and follow-up, which means daily health checks, either at home or in a specialized facility,” said Maria van Kerkhove, the organization’s top epidemiologist.

Numerous countries have said their people will be quarantined or hospitalized for observation.

Australia is sending a plane, expected to arrive Monday, to evacuate its people and those from nearby countries, such as New Zealand, and unspecified Asian countries, said Spanish Health Minister Mónica García, who added that the evacuation flight was expected to be the last to leave Tenerife.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said a second Dutch flight Monday would bring back more passengers from the Netherlands and other nations.

Berendsen said the evacuation operation "is based on concern for the passengers. But also concern for public health, and we try to do that in the best way.”

Nebraska Medicine's Davis Global Center is seen on Sunday, May 10,2026 in Omaha, Neb. where American passengers from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship will quarantine. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Passengers leave a plane at Manchester Airport, after being repatriated to the United Kingdom from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which was hit by hantavirus, Sunday, May 10, 2026, in Manchester, England. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Passengers are sprayed with disinfectant by Spanish government officials before boarding a plane after disembarking from the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius at Tenerife airport in the Canary Islands, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Arturo Rodriguez)

Ambulances carrying patients evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship with suspected hantavirus infection, leave the Bourget airport, north of Paris, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

A plane carrying patients evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship with suspected hantavirus infection, lands at the Bourget airport, north of Paris, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2026--

Today, Corona, the world’s most valuable beer brand*, unveils “Living is Calling” – a new global call to action inviting consumers to step outside and live life to the fullest this summer. As a powerful extension of its “This Is Living” platform, the new campaign invites the world to put living first through a partnership with Tripadvisor featuring over 300,000 experiences, and a new global film.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260511429135/en/

“For the past 100 years, Corona has inspired the world to come outside and feel more moments of ‘This Is Living,’ and we believe the next chapter is about helping people take action and embrace the outdoors,” said Clarissa Pantoja, Global Vice President of Corona. “‘Living is Calling’ is our worldwide call to action, and we’re pairing it with our biggest program ever to enable experiences outside. We’re empowering consumers to live this summer and reconnect with what truly matters – nature, human connection and real experiences, all enjoyed together with a beer in hand.”

Corona and Tripadvisor Offer an Invitation Inside Every Bottle

For more than a century, Corona has cultivated a deep association with the beach and nature, championing a lifestyle rooted in relaxation, travel, and time spent outdoors. Today, Corona and Tripadvisor have come together to transform a moment of relaxation – the first sip of a Corona – into an invitation to come outside in nature. From guided coastal hikes in South Africa and sunset sailing trips in Brazil, to paragliding journeys over the coast of Peru and snorkeling excursions along Italy’s Amalfi coast, the partnership includes memorable experiences across premier destinations globally.

Launching in more than 30 countries, Corona and Tripadvisor are opening the door for people of legal drinking age to discover new places in a more meaningful way. Eligible consumers who scan the QR code on every Corona package will have the chance to unlock memorable moments in the real-world, with the brand offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in vouchers towards travel experiences.

Calling Consumers to Nature through Immersive Experiences

Understanding so many people are in autopilot with their daily routines, Corona reminds the world to make time to relax and unwind outdoors. At the heart of the new “This Is Living” campaign is “Living is Calling,” a new hero film created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, which follows seven friends as they journey across some of the world’s most breathtaking natural landscapes. Inviting the viewer in on the summer fun, the film and full suite of digital, trade, and OOH assets are all designed entirely in first-person point-of-view: a first-ever perspective for the brand, chosen to make viewers feel what it’s like to put living first.

“For over a decade, Corona's been telling us to put living first through 'This Is Living.'” said Juan Sevilla, Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam Creative Director. “This year, we're going a step further. We're turning that platform into a literal invitation to get out there and actually start living this philosophy.”

Extending that call to come outside into the real world, Corona will transform everyday environments into unexpected escapes across select global markets. The immersive OOH takeovers will reimagine high-traffic spaces – from turning iconic buildings in Latin America into monuments to nature, to transforming commutes for thousands in Canada into ocean-inspired experiences – inviting people to see their natural surroundings in new ways.

To see participating markets for “Living is Calling” and learn more about how to answer the call, visit www.corona.com/LivingIsCalling.

*Kantar’s BrandZ 2025 Global Rankings

About Corona Global
Corona, an AB InBev global brand, is the iconic beer brand that is synonymous with paradise with a presence in 180 countries. Recognized as the world’s most valuable beer brand in Kantar’s BrandZ global 2025 rankings*, Corona invites the world outside, beckoning you to reconnect with your essential nature and embrace the simple pleasures of life. But it's not just about the beer – it's about the ritual. The ritual of adding a slice of lime to your Corona, an experience that elevates the moment. Corona isn't just a beverage; it's nature in a bottle. And we strive to help protect nature and have become the first global beverage brand with a net-zero plastic footprint. This builds on our longstanding ambition to help protect the world’s oceans and beaches from plastic pollution. Every sip of Corona is a celebration of nature and the beauty of the world around us.

*Corona is not sold by AB InBev in the United States.

About AB InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ANB) and South Africa (JSE: ANH) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). As a company, we dream big to create a future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life’s moments, move our industry forward and make a meaningful impact in the world. We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest ingredients. Beer is the drink for moderation, and for over a century, AB InBev has championed responsible drinking. We are committed to providing our consumers with balanced choices to enjoy on any occasion. We also invest in marketing that aims to reinforce positive behaviors, and we work with communities, customers, and partners to promote responsible consumption through evidence-based initiatives.

Our diverse portfolio of well over 400 beer brands includes global brands Budweiser®, Corona®, Stella Artois® and Michelob Ultra®; multi-country brands Beck’s®, Hoegaarden® and Leffe®; and local champions such as Aguila®, Antarctica®, Bud Light®, Brahma®, Cass®, Castle®, Castle Lite®, Cristal®, Harbin®, Jupiler®, Modelo Especial®, Quilmes®, Victoria®, Sedrin®, and Skol®. Our brewing heritage dates back more than 600 years, spanning continents and generations. From our European roots at the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium. To the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery in St. Louis, US. To the creation of the Castle Brewery in South Africa during the Johannesburg gold rush. To Bohemia, the first brewery in Brazil. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, we leverage the collective strengths of approximately 137 000 colleagues based in more than 40 countries worldwide. For 2025, AB InBev’s reported revenue was 59.3 billion USD (excluding JVs and associates).

New Summer Program from Corona Invites the World to Experience “This Is Living”