A suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean kills 3 people, WHO says

Three people have died in a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, with WHO saying one case has been confirmed and five more are suspected.

The ship is off the coast of Cape Verde, where authorities have not yet authorized disembarkation. WHO and the ship operator said medical evacuation, testing and risk assessment are continuing.

WHO said one hantavirus infection has been laboratory-confirmed. It added that the wider public risk remains low, even as investigators work to determine how the outbreak started and whether there are more cases.

Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s operator, said three passengers have died and that two symptomatic crew members need urgent medical care. WHO said one patient is in intensive care in South Africa.

Reports have varied on some details, including the nationalities of the deceased, which have not been fully confirmed across all coverage. The key public-health question now is whether the infection began onboard or was brought in from elsewhere.

The outbreak was first reported on May 3 and was still developing as of May 4, with additional testing and sequencing underway.