THE World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Friday that a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship has infected at least eight people, killing three and triggering an international public health response involving multiple countries.
According to the WHO, six cases have been laboratory-confirmed as Andes virus — a strain of hantavirus — through PCR testing, while two further cases remain probable infections.
The outbreak was first reported on 2 May while 147 passengers and crew members remained aboard the vessel.
A further 34 individuals had already disembarked before health authorities were alerted, Reuters cited on Saturday.
Four patients are currently being treated in hospitals in South Africa, the Netherlands and Switzerland. A separate suspected case transferred to Germany later tested negative.
The World Health Organization assessed the overall global risk as low, though it warned that the danger to passengers and crew on board remains moderate.
Health officials believe the first infected individual may have contracted the virus before boarding the ship, potentially during travel in Argentina or Chile. The WHO said subsequent transmission likely occurred onboard the vessel itself.
The cruise ship departed Cabo Verde on 6 May and is travelling towards Spain’s Canary Islands, where passengers are expected to disembark under medical supervision.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that American authorities were “closely monitoring” the situation involving U.S. citizens aboard the vessel.
The CDC added that it plans to evacuate American passengers using a U.S. government medical repatriation flight to Omaha, Nebraska.
Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said there are 17 U.S. citizens currently aboard the ship.
The Andes virus is a rare but potentially fatal hantavirus strain found primarily in South America. It can cause severe respiratory illness and, unlike many other hantaviruses, has previously shown evidence of limited person-to-person transmission. - May 9, 2026
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