Six cases of hantavirus, including three fatalities, have been confirmed following an outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Friday.
As of 8 May, eight cases in total have been reported, with three resulting in death—a fatality rate of 38%. Laboratory tests confirmed six of the cases as infections with the Andes virus, a strain of hantavirus known for its potential to spread between humans, the WHO stated.
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses typically transmitted to humans from infected rodents through contact with their urine, droppings, or saliva. They can cause illnesses of varying severity.
Among the fatalities are two Dutch passengers and a German passenger. Three others were disembarked on Wednesday in Cape Verde. The Dutch couple had travelled for four months in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before boarding the cruise ship MV Hondius on 1 April.
The ship is now headed for Tenerife, Spain, where the passengers are expected to disembark on Sunday under WHO coordination. Two Belgian passengers on board will be repatriated later the same day via a Dutch charter flight.
The previous WHO update on Thursday reported five confirmed cases and three suspected cases.
