WHO says risk low, warns of further cases in cruise ship outbreak

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that additional hantavirus infections linked to a cruise ship outbreak cannot be ruled out, as health authorities across multiple continents continue tracking passengers exposed during a voyage that has already left at least three people dead and several others infected or under observation.

The MV Hondius, operated by Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, is now sailing toward Spain’s Canary Islands under close international monitoring, with authorities preparing a tightly controlled evacuation once it reaches Tenerife over the weekend.

More than 140 passengers and crew are expected to disembark under strict isolation procedures as governments coordinate repatriation flights and contact tracing efforts.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said five confirmed and three suspected cases have been identified so far, noting that the situation remains fluid due to the virus’ long incubation period, which can last up to six weeks.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during a virtual press conference on the hantavirus cluster linked to a cruise ship travel, at the WHO headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland, May 7, 2026. (AFP Photo)

He warned that while further cases may still surface, the overall risk of sustained transmission remains low.

The outbreak has triggered an unusually complex international response, with cases or suspected infections reported across Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and South Africa.

At least two countries have confirmed fatalities tied directly to the voyage, while a third death has been recorded with the virus still under investigation in a broader epidemiological context.

Spanish emergency services are coordinating what officials described as a staged and isolated evacuation process on arrival in Tenerife.

The United States has arranged a repatriation flight for its 17 citizens on board, while the United Kingdom is organizing a separate charter to bring home nearly two dozen British nationals.

The alarm surrounding the vessel intensified after it emerged that passengers had disembarked at multiple ports before the outbreak was fully understood, including Cape Verde, Saint Helena and Amsterdam.

Health authorities in at least a dozen countries have since been notified and are working to locate and monitor potentially exposed individuals.

One of the earliest confirmed fatalities was a Dutch couple who had traveled through parts of South America, including Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, before boarding the ship in Ushuaia on April 1.

The man died on board in mid-April, while his wife later fell ill after disembarking and died in South Africa, where hantavirus was confirmed as the cause.

Argentine authorities, where the voyage originated, said the source of the infection remains unknown. Officials said no conclusion has been reached on where or how the virus entered the ship, and investigations are now focused on environmental testing, including rodent surveillance in Ushuaia, a known area where hantavirus is typically associated with wildlife exposure.

Another German passenger has also died, with her body still aboard the vessel as tracing operations continue. Several other passengers have been confirmed infected or are being treated in isolation facilities across Europe and Africa, including in the Netherlands and South Africa.

Health officials have focused particular attention on a commercial flight from Saint Helena to Johannesburg, taken by a symptomatic passenger during disembarkation, as part of broader contact tracing efforts. Authorities say dozens of passengers left the ship in earlier stops without full tracing protocols in place, complicating containment efforts.

Despite the fatalities and widespread monitoring, the cruise operator said no passengers currently aboard the vessel are showing symptoms. Some passengers have described the atmosphere on board as calm, even as reports of deaths and infections emerged during the 35-day Atlantic voyage.

Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine or saliva. While human-to-human transmission is rare, the strain involved in this outbreak has raised concern due to evidence it may spread between people in close contact. The illness can cause severe respiratory failure and cardiovascular complications, and there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment.

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