Two Hantavirus Cases Confirmed, Five Suspected On Cruise Ship, Says WHO

Two hantavirus cases have been confirmed and five others are suspected among people on a cruise ship stuck off Cape Verde, including three who have died, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Tuesday.

"As of 4 May 2026, seven cases (two laboratory confirmed cases of hantavirus and five suspected cases) have been identified, including three deaths, one critically ill patient and three individuals reporting mild symptoms," the World Health Organization said in a statement. Three of the people are no longer on the ship and four remain on board.

Passengers and crew desperately hunkered down in isolation on a ship stuck off Cape Verde on Monday, after local authorities barred it from docking following the death of three people in a suspected hantavirus outbreak.

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The island nation's refusal to allow them to disembark came even as WHO Europe said the risk to the wider public remained low.

Passengers from Britain, Spain and the United States, as well as crew from the Philippines, were among the 23 nationalities aboard the MV Hondius, which was carrying 149 people.

Those on board are under "strict precautionary measures", the ship's operator Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement, including isolation, hygiene protocols and medical monitoring.

The company has confirmed three deaths among those on the cruise, which was travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde off the coast of west Africa.

What is hantavirus?

Hantaviruses are split into two groups: viruses from the old world (Europe, Asia, Africa) and those from the new world (North, Central and South America).

For old world viruses, the mortality rate can be as high as 14 per cent. However, in developed nations such as France, fatal cases are extremely rare and mainly affect people with pre-existing health conditions.

Some cases are asymptomatic or limited to body aches, an upset stomach and a mild cough. But rare cases can include kidney problems that can develop into acute but reversible renal failure.

In contrast, the lethality of new world viruses can exceed 40 per cent. These cases can rapidly spread to lungs, leading to breathing issues or sometimes heart problems.

These viruses are found all over the world, with infections occurring year-round. For example, China, Russia and South Korea report several thousand cases a year.

In the Americas, Finland and France, there are several hundred cases annually.

Only certain strains of hantaviruses found exclusively in rodents, rats, mice, and voles, are transmitted to humans.

Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship leaves 3 dead, dozens stranded off Cape Verde WHO says hantavirus' risk to wider public remains low after cruise ship deaths

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