Amid the hantavirus outbreak on board the cruise ship M/V Hondius, claims have been circulating online that the American animated series “The Simpsons” predicted a similar situation back in 2012, in the 19th episode of the show's 23rd season, themirror.com writes.

In April 2026, an outbreak of hantavirus infection, caused by the Andes virus, was detected on board the Dutch cruise ship M/V Hondius. The ship departed from the Argentine port of Ushuaia on April 1, 2026. A total of three people on board died. According to the World Health Organization, nine probable and seven confirmed cases of hantavirus infection have been recorded.

On May 10, passengers began disembarking in Tenerife, Canary Islands, and were transported home on charter flights. Eighteen people are under medical observation in the United States due to possible infection—17 American citizens and one British-American citizen. Sixteen of them are being treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and two have been transferred to Emory University in Atlanta. Passengers who test negative will be monitored for 42 days.

As events unfolded, social media users noted similarities to a 2012 episode of “The Simpsons”, which also featured a virus-ridden cruise ship. The show's creators had previously been credited with "predicting" Donald Trump's presidential victory in a 2000 episode and the rise of smartwatches and video calls in a 1995 episode.

US officials stress that the risk to the general public remains extremely low.