WHO Monitors Rare Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is closely monitoring a rare outbreak of hantavirus linked respiratory illness aboard a Dutch flagged cruise ship after seven cases, including three deaths, were reported among passengers and crew.
The vessel, carrying 147 people from 23 nationalities, left Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, 2026, and travelled through remote regions including Antarctica, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena and Ascension Island. By May 4, two cases had been confirmed in laboratories and five more suspected.
One patient remains in intensive care in South Africa, while three others with mild symptoms are still on board the ship, now moored off Cabo Verde. The first case involved a man who developed fever and diarrhoea on April 6 and died of respiratory distress on April 11. A second case, a close contact, died in South Africa on April 26 after severe complications. A third confirmed patient was evacuated from Ascension Island and remains critically ill.
WHO says investigations are ongoing to determine the source of exposure, noting hantavirus is usually linked to rodents or contaminated environments. The agency explained that infection is primarily acquired through contact with rodent urine, faeces or saliva. Although rare, the disease can cause severe respiratory illness and death. Limited human to human transmission has been documented in South America involving the Andes virus strain.
Authorities in Cabo Verde, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain and the UK have launched a coordinated response, including medical evacuations, laboratory testing and contact tracing. Passengers have been advised to remain in cabins, practise distancing and monitor symptoms for up to 45 days.
Additional testing is being conducted by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases in South Africa and the Institut Pasteur in Senegal. WHO currently assesses the global risk as low and has not recommended travel or trade restrictions.
The UN health agency urged travellers and healthcare workers to remain vigilant, stressing the importance of early detection, infection prevention and rapid access to intensive care.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a zoonotic disease carried mainly by rodents. Symptoms often begin with fever, headache, muscle pain and stomach illness before progressing to respiratory failure and shock. There is no approved treatment or vaccine, but early supportive care in intensive units can improve survival rates.
