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

▶ Watch Video: Why hantavirus incubation period worries officials

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.

Spanish PM Sanchez, WHO chief Ghebreyesus discuss hantavirus situation in Madrid
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at jnews conference in Madrid on May 12, 2026.

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 risk to the public from hantavirus is “much, much lower” than what we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It’s very different than COVID, and we should treat it differently than COVID,” Bhattacharya told “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil on Monday when asked about the lack of daily briefings on the outbreak. 

The MV Hondius presented diplomatic challenges as different countries negotiated over who would receive it and treat its passengers.

Cape Verde, an archipelago off Africa’s west coast, refused to receive the ship, and it remained anchored offshore the capital Praia as three people were evacuated to Europe by air last week.

Spain allowed the vessel to anchor off the Canary Islands for the evacuation of passengers and crew on Sunday and Monday, but Cape Verde’s regional government fiercely opposed the measure.

Defending his government’s policy, Sanchez said the “world does not need more selfishness or more fear. What it needs are countries that show solidarity and want to step forward.” 

Global bond markets are getting hammered. Here’s what’s driving the sell-off

By CNN
New York (CNN) — Investors’ concerns over a range of issues from inflation to hefty government deficits are driving a global bond market-sell off, creating a headache for policymakers and pushing up borrowing costs for governments and consumers.Yields rise when bond prices fall. Investors are selling bonds, pushing prices lower and yields higher: The 30-year US Treasury yield on Tuesday hit 5.34%, its highest level since 2007.The yield’s rise to a 19-year high is a part of broader unease in global bond markets. In France and Germany, 10-year bond yields this week hit their highest levels since 2008 and 2011, respectively. In Japan, the 10-year yield hit its highest level in 30 years.Bond yields across various economies are surging to their highest levels in years while investors reckon with a mix of factors from stubborn inflation to rising government deficits to a wave of new corporate debt issuance.On one hand, the sell-off reflects investors’ longstanding concerns about unchecked government spending and rising deficits. Yields are rising as investors demand more compensation for the risk of lending money to governments amid a backdrop of shakier finances.But the bond market angst has been exacerbated this year by the US-Israeli war with Iran and the surge in oil prices. Brent crude on Tuesday rose above $91 per barrel. Investors are demanding a higher yield on bonds to compensate for the risk of inflation eating into their return.The Iran war has also rocked bonds as investors weigh the impact of surging oil prices and the possibility that central banks could keep interest rates higher for longer, or even raise them, to combat inflation.“The worsening situation in the Middle East is likely a factor in intensifying concerns over inflation and concerns over the US fiscal position,” Derek Halpenny, head of research for global markets at MUFG, said in a note.“There remains zero appetite in the US for addressing the US fiscal position and that is increasingly weighing on the long end of the curve,” Halpenny said.Government bonds are also under pressure from a wave of new debt from companies, including tech firms focused on artificial intelligence. Tech companies are issuing debt to fund the buildout of AI infrastructure, and those bonds are competing with government bonds for investors’ attention. Less demand for government bonds pushes prices lower, which pushes yields higher.“Hyperscaler borrowing to fund AI infrastructure is competing for the same pool of buyers at the same moment governments need those buyers most,” Nigel Green, CEO at deVere Group, said in a note. “Crowd two urgent borrowers into one market and the price of patience goes up for everybody.”A surge in bond yields can mean tighter financial conditions, which make it more costly to take out loans, and also puts pressure on the stock market.The 10-year US Treasury yield on Tuesday rose to 4.74%, trading near the highest level of President Donald Trump’s second term. The 10-year yield helps set borrowing costs across the US economy, including mortgage rates.The rise in bond yields creates complications for policymakers as governments are faced with rising debt. In the United States, the national debt is nearing a record $40 trillion.For government bonds, the yield is the interest rate the government pays to bond investors – or the government’s cost of borrowing money. The global bond sell-off is pushing up the cost of borrowing for governments in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Japan and others.Higher yields can pull investors away from stocks, while also altering analysts’ calculations for the value of stocks. US stocks opened lower Tuesday morning: The S&P 500 fell 0.5%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.2%.“Bonds are on the move: a sharp rise in government bond yields around the world may start to pose a threat to equity valuations and make life even trickier for deeply indebted nations and policymakers,” Neil Wilson, a strategist at Saxo Markets, said in a note.The 30-year Treasury yield traded around 4.7% in February before the war with Iran before climbing in recent months above 5.3% to hit its highest level since 2007.Wall Street is also adjusting to Kevin Warsh’s tenure as Federal Reserve chairman. While a change in leadership at the Fed can trigger some volatility in the bond market, Chairman Warsh’s approach of less communication has added to uncertainty about how the central bank will respond to inflation and other economic shocks. And his refusal to provide forward guidance leaves investors with less clarity about where US interest rates are headed.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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