The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday. WHO said on X that one case has been laboratory confirmed and five additional cases are suspected. Of the six affected people, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.
An investigation is under way to establish the cause of the onboard health incident. A Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed to Reuters that two Dutch passengers died but provided no further details.
Hantaviruses are found worldwide and are usually transmitted through contact with the urine or feces of infected rodents such as rats and mice. The virus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe respiratory illness that can be fatal, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While person-to-person transmission is rare, the WHO said it can occur. There is no specific antiviral cure for hantavirus infections, though prompt medical care can improve chances of survival.
South African authorities identified the vessel as the MV Hondius and said roughly 150 tourists were on board. The ship left Argentina about three weeks ago on a voyage that included stops in Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and other ports en route to Spain’s Canary Islands. Health officials in South Africa are conducting contact tracing in the Johannesburg area to determine whether others were exposed after disembarkation.