A suspected outbreak of hantavirus aboard a cruise ship has raised alarms among global health officials after multiple deaths and several illnesses were reported among passengers, according to the World Health Organization.
The U.N. health agency said Tuesday it is investigating a possible rare case of human-to-human transmission on the Dutch vessel MV Hondius, which is carrying nearly 150 passengers and is currently off the coast of Cape Verde. Officials stressed the broader public risk remains low.
Three passengers have died, and at least four others have fallen ill, with one person now in intensive care in South Africa. Two cases have been confirmed through laboratory testing, while five additional suspected cases are still being reviewed.
“We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that’s happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who have shared cabins,” Maria Van Kerkhove, the director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the WHO, told reporters in Geneva.
“Some people on the ship were couples, they were sharing rooms so that’s quite intimate contact,” Van Kerkhove said.
Health officials said hantavirus is typically spread through contact with infected rodents, including their urine, droppings, or saliva. Human-to-human transmission is considered extremely rare, though it has been documented in limited cases involving the Andes strain of the virus.
The WHO said there have been no reports of rodents on the ship, leading investigators to believe the outbreak may have originated before the voyage began. A Dutch couple who later died is believed to have contracted the virus in Argentina prior to boarding.
The cruise had been traveling on a weeks-long expedition from Argentina to Antarctica, with planned stops at remote islands in the South Atlantic.
Passengers have been instructed to remain in their cabins as authorities work to contain the situation. The WHO said mitigation efforts, including disinfection protocols, are underway onboard.
Officials are still working to determine how the cases are linked and when it will be safe for passengers needing medical care to disembark.
Van Kerkhove said the current plan is for the vessel to proceed to the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities are preparing to receive it.
“We’re working with Spanish authorities, who will welcome the ship,” Van Kerkhove said.