Hantavirus Outbreak Reported on Atlantic Cruise Ship

(MENAFN) Three people have died and at least five others are suspected infected aboard a cruise ship sailing the Atlantic Ocean following a confirmed hantavirus outbreak, the World Health Organization disclosed Sunday evening in a development that has triggered an urgent international public health response.

In a statement to media, the WHO said it is supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, with one case of hantavirus infection laboratory-confirmed and five additional suspected cases among the six affected individuals. One patient is currently receiving intensive care in South Africa.

The agency confirmed that detailed investigations are underway, encompassing further laboratory testing, epidemiological inquiries, and viral sequencing, while medical care and support are being extended to all passengers and crew on board.

The WHO is also coordinating between member states and the vessel's operators to facilitate the medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, alongside a comprehensive public health risk assessment for those remaining aboard.

The stricken vessel has been identified in earlier reports as the MV Hondius. According to those accounts, the ship was en route from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Cape Verde when a severe acute respiratory illness erupted on board, claiming the lives of an elderly couple, with a third person subsequently transferred to an intensive care unit in Johannesburg, South Africa. South Africa's National Department of Health had previously confirmed two deaths from an acute respiratory infection aboard the vessel.

Hantavirus is typically contracted through environmental exposure to infected rodents' urine or faeces. Though rare, human-to-human transmission is possible, and the virus can trigger severe respiratory illness — a characteristic that health authorities say demands careful patient monitoring and a coordinated containment response.

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