Hantavirus is suspected in the deaths of three people and illness of at least six others aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization reported May 3.
Hantaviruses are groups of viruses – microscopic organisms that infect hosts – transmitted by mice and rats. They can cause serious, sometimes fatal, illnesses in people. Hantavirus disease is considered rare, with 890 cases reported in the United States between 1993 and 2023.
“To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases,” the organization announced on X.
The outbreak was reported aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which was traveling from Argentina to Cape Verde, an island nation off Africa's west coast. Of the six suspected cases, three patients have died and one was in intensive care in South Africa, WHO said.
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