3 die on cruise ship from suspected hantavirus – WHO

A general view of the cruise ship MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 3, 2026. An outbreak of “severe acute respiratory illness” on board a cruise ship in the Atlantic has left two people dead and a third in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa’s health ministry told AFP on May 3, 2026. The outbreak occurred on the MV Hondius, travelling from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde. The patient being treated in Johannesburg tested positive for a hantavirus, a family of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic fever, South African spokesperson Foster Mohale said. / AFP

GENEVA – The World Health Organization said Sunday that three people had died on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, one of them confirmed as the victim of hantavirus.

“To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases,” the WHO told AFP.

“Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.” — Agence France Presse