Outbreak on Cruise Ship Leaves 3 Dead: 5 Things to Know About Hantavirus

‘To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases,’ officials say.

Cruise ship MV Hondius docks off Cape Verde port, as passengers were not allowed off the ship, while health authorities investigated suspected cases of hantavirus aboard the vessel, in Praia Port, Cape Verde, on May 4, 2026. Stringer/Reuters

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on May 3 that a suspected outbreak of hantavirus has left three dead on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

About 150 people were still stuck onboard the small cruise vessel as three people, a Dutch couple and a German national, died amid the outbreak. Others fell ill, including a Briton who left the vessel and was being treated in South Africa, authorities said.

WHO Says 3 Dead, 3 Sick

The WHO said in a statement that it is “aware of and supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean.”