Hantavirus Hits Cruise Ship: WHO Confirms Five Cases, Three Deaths

The World Health Organization has confirmed five cases of hantavirus tied to an outbreak on a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic, with three additional suspected infections. Three people have died. The UN health agency says the overall risk to the public remains low, though more cases could emerge.

Speaking Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu said the UK alerted the agency to a cluster of severe respiratory illness among passengers aboard the Hondius, a Dutch-flagged vessel traveling from Cape Verde to Tenerife, Spain. Eight cases have been reported so far—five confirmed, three suspected—including the three fatalities.

The virus detected is the Andes strain, a rare type found in Latin America and the only hantavirus known to spread between people, though usually only through prolonged, close contact like household members or healthcare workers. Most hantaviruses are carried by rodents and transmitted through contact with urine, droppings, or saliva.

The first victim was a man who fell ill April 6 and died five days later. No samples were taken at the time because his symptoms resembled other viruses. His wife became the second fatality after going ashore in Saint Helena, where she developed symptoms and died April 25. A third woman died seven days after her symptoms started April 25.

Both initial victims had traveled in Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay on a bird-watching trip before boarding, visiting areas with rats known to carry hantavirus. Argentine authorities are investigating their movements. Argentina is sending 2,500 diagnostic kits to labs in five countries.

Given hantavirus’s incubation period of up to six weeks, Tedros warned more cases could surface. The WHO has notified 12 countries whose nationals disembarked in Saint Helena, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, and others.