Deadly virus aboard a cruise ship: passengers are being sought on four continents

Three passengers died after an outbreak of hantavirus on a passenger ship

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08 May 2026

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Медики евакуюють пацієнтів з круїзного лайнера MV Hondius (фото АР)

Health authorities on four continents are tracing passengers from a cruise ship where a deadly hantavirus outbreak occurred. Associated Press reported this on May 8, 2026 in an article by Associated Press.

Health officials are identifying people who disembarked from the vessel before the scale of the outbreak became known, and are also trying to find those who may have had contact with them after the voyage. AP reports that Argentine investigators suspect the Dutch couple may have been infected while birdwatching before boarding the cruise ship. At the same time, a team of experts in Argentina had not yet traveled to the southern town where the outbreak likely began.

April 24, nearly two weeks after the death of the first passenger on board, the ship was left by more than two dozen people from at least 12 countries. The ship operator and Dutch officials said that a full contact tracing had not yet been completed at that time. As a result of the outbreak, three passengers died – a Dutch couple and a German national. Several others fell ill.

Symptoms of hantavirus usually appear one to eight weeks after contact with the source of infection. Dutch cruise company Oceanwide Expeditions said that among passengers and crew remaining on the ship there are currently no symptomatic people.

The World Health Organization said the risk to the general public remains low. Hantavirus is usually transmitted by inhaling particles contaminated with rodent excreta and rarely spreads from person to person.

“We believe this will be a limited outbreak if public health measures are implemented and solidarity is demonstrated across countries”, – said WHO director for prevention and response Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud.

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