The World Health Organization reported Sunday that one case of hantavirus infection on a cruise ship was laboratory-confirmed and five other cases were suspected. “Of the six people affected, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa,” the UN agency said.

Published on: 05/03/2026 - 8:47 p.m. Modified on: 05/04/2026 - 3:22 p.m.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) reported, on Sunday May 3, three deaths linked to a possible outbreak of hantavirus infection, an illness which can cause acute respiratory syndrome, on a cruise ship in the Atlantic.

“WHO has been informed of a public health event involving a cruise ship sailing in the Atlantic Ocean and is providing support,” she told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

This cruise ship, the MV Hondius, connected Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Verde. He was on Sunday just in front of the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, an AFP photographer and videographer noted.

"To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and five other cases are suspected. Of the six affected people, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa," the UN agency said. This passenger, a 69-year-old British national, is hospitalized in Johannesburg, said South African spokesperson Foster Mohale, who reports to the Ministry of Health.

“Although rare, hantavirus can be transmitted from person to person and cause serious respiratory illness; it requires careful patient monitoring, appropriate support and management,” WHO said. "Extensive investigations are underway, including additional laboratory analyzes and epidemiological investigations. Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also underway."

Medical evacuation of passengers

According to a source with knowledge of the case and who requested anonymity, there would be a Dutch couple among the three deaths. The third victim is still on board the ship.

It was a 70-year-old cruise passenger who first showed symptoms. He died on board the ship and his body is currently on the island of Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic, according to the South African spokesperson.

His wife, aged 69, also fell ill on board the ship and was evacuated to South Africa: she died there on an undetermined date in a hospital in Johannesburg, said the same source, who was not able to specify the nationality of the victims.

“WHO is organizing the medical evacuation of two passengers with symptoms, carrying out a full risk assessment and providing support to those affected on board,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday evening on X. “Rapid and coordinated action is essential to limit risks and protect public health.”

According to the anonymous source with knowledge of the situation, the ship could then continue its route towards the Canaries, two or three days at sea.

“Good coordination between all stakeholders”

The WHO commends “the speed of the measures taken as well as the good coordination between all stakeholders”.

The MV Hondius appears online on the sites of several travel agencies, based in particular in Argentina and the United Kingdom. One of them offers a cruise departing from Ushuaia to Cape Verde, with stopovers in the islands of South Georgia and Saint Helena. It can accommodate around 170 passengers and has around 70 crew members.

Hantaviruses are transmitted to humans through infected wild rodents, such as mice or rats, which shed the virus through saliva, urine and feces. A bite, contact with these rodents or their droppings as well as inhalation of contaminated dust can cause infection.

There are many types of hantaviruses, which are distinguished by their geographic distribution and clinical picture. According to the website of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP), “a single type of virus, extremely rare, can be transmitted from one human being to another.”

With AFP

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