More hantavirus suspected from cruise ship. Latest on illnesses.
More hantavirus suspected from cruise ship. Latest on illnesses.
Melina Khan and Eve Chen, USA TODAYWed, May 6, 2026 at 12:46 PM UTC
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An eighth hantavirus-linked case has been identified among passengers who traveled on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, officials announced on Wednesday, May 6.
Three people have died since the outbreak began on the MV Hondius, a cruise ship run by Netherlands-based expedition cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions.
Three others were evacuated from the ship hours ago.
Officials have confirmed the strain of hantavirus as the Andes virus.
Here's the latest.
Where is the cruise ship now?
The MV Hondius has been moored off the coast of Cape Verde, an island nation off Africa's west coast.
It was expected to head to the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain after evacuating several individuals, which WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed were evacuated Wednesday morning.
"Three suspected #hantavirus case patients have just been evacuated from the ship and are on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands in coordination with @WHO, the ship’s operator and national authorities from Cabo Verde, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands," Ghebreyesu posted on X.
Upon arriving in the Canary Islands, passengers and crew will be screened and treated in line with protocol from health officials, Oceanwide Expeditions and Spain's Ministry of Health said in a news release.
The ship departed from Argentina on April 1 and traveled across the Atlantic, making "multiple stops in remote and ecologically diverse regions," including mainland Antarctica, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena and Ascension Island, according to WHO.
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How is hantavirus transmitted?
People can become infected with hantavirus when they breathe in air that is contaminated with the virus.
Human hantavirus infection is primarily transmitted through contact with the urine, feces or saliva of infected rodents. Although uncommon, limited human-to-human transmission has been reported in previous outbreaks, per the WHO.
Officials believe a husband and wife, Dutch nationals, were infected while they were off the cruise ship, engaging in wildlife expeditions. Others with suspected infections may have come in contact with the virus on islands as well, WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said during a May 5 news conference.
"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've shared cabins, etcetera," Kerkhove said.
WHO said on May 6 that the strain of hantavirus has been confirmed through laboratory testing as Andes virus, a strain found in South America that is believed to spread person-to-person.
More: What is hantavirus, the illness suspected in 3 cruise ship deaths?
Hantavirus symptoms
Symptoms typically begin two to three weeks after infection, and can include fever, chills, muscle aches, vomiting and diarrhea. In serious cases, it can cause issues with lung and heart function, per the Mayo Clinic.
How many people on cruise are sick from hantavirus?
According to the WHO, eight cases, including three lab-confirmed cases of hantavirus, have been identified among those who traveled on the ship. Three people have died from their infections.
Here's a summary of the cases, per the WHO and Oceanwide Expeditions:
An adult male developed symptoms of fever, headache, and mild diarrhea on April 6 while on board the ship. He developed respiratory symptoms and died on board on April 11. His body was removed to Saint Helena on April 24.
An adult female, identified as the wife of the male who died on board on April 11, went ashore to Saint Helena on April 24 with gastrointestinal symptoms. Her symptoms worsened during a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, on April 25. She died on April 26. The case was confirmed as a hantavirus infection on May 4.
Officials said the husband and wife were Dutch nationals and had traveled in South America, including Argentina, before they boarded the cruise ship.
An adult male reported a fever, shortness of breath and signs of pneumonia to the ship's doctor on April 24. After his condition worsened, he was medically evacuated to South Africa on April 27, where he is currently hospitalized in an Intensive Care Unit. Testing confirmed a hantavirus infection on May 2.
An adult female whose symptoms began on April 28 and included fever and signs of pneumonia. She died on May 2.
An individual who was evacuated from the ship on May 6 and is on route to the Netherlands for medical treatment, Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.
An individual who was evacuated from the ship on May 6 and is on route to the Netherlands for medical treatment, per Ghebreyesus.
An individual who was evacuated from the ship on May 6 and is on route to the Netherlands for medical treatment, per Ghebreyesus.
A Swiss man who had traveled on the ship before returning home in late April. He has been admitted to a hospital in Zurich after exhibiting symptoms, according to WHO and Swiss public health officials.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How many have died in hantavirus cruise ship outbreak? Symptoms, cause
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