Published : 09 May 2026, 05:51 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:42 PM
The World Health Organization said on Friday that eight people had fallen ill, including three who died, in a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship, with six confirmed cases and two probable cases.
• Six of the cases have been confirmed as Andes virus, a type of hantavirus, through PCR testing, the WHO said.
• The ship had 147 passengers and crew on board when the outbreak was first reported on May 2, while 34 others had already left the vessel.
• Four patients remain hospitalised in South Africa, the Netherlands and Switzerland, while a suspected case sent to Germany tested negative.
• Separately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reiterated on Friday that the US is closely monitoring the situation with US travelers on board the cruise ship.
• The CDC said it plans to evacuate American passengers aboard the ship on a US government medical repatriation flight to Omaha, Nebraska.
• There are 17 US citizens aboard the ship, according to cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions.
• The ship left Cabo Verde on May 6 and was heading to Spain's Canary Islands, where passengers are expected to disembark.
• The WHO said the risk to the wider global population is low, but the risk to passengers and crew on the ship is moderate.
• The agency said the first case may have been infected before boarding, possibly during travel in Argentina and Chile, with later spread likely occurring on the ship.
