The Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius anchors off the coast of Praia on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde, May 5, 2026, after three people died onboard from an acute respiratory syndrome. Photo: VCG

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed seven cases - two laboratory confirmed cases and five suspected cases - of hantavirus as of May 4 after a suspected outbreak on a cruise ship in Atlantic Ocean. The outbreak has resulted in three deaths, one critical illness ⁠and three mild cases.

In a response sent to the Global Times, the WHO said that detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing and epidemiological investigations. "Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing," the WHO added.

The WHO currently assesses the risk to the global population as low and it will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and update the risk assessment.

The cruise ship MV Hondius was sailing from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde when it experienced a severe acute respiratory outbreak, according to media reports. About 150 people remain on board following the deaths of a Dutch couple and a German national, as well as two crew members falling ill. Another confirmed hantavirus passenger, a British national, has left the vessel and is receiving intensive care in Johannesburg, Dutch cruise ship operator Oceanwide Expeditions said in a statement on Monday, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Onboard passengers and crew represent 23 nationalities. As of May 4, 2026, the vessel is moored off the coast of Cape Verde, according to the WHO official website. 

As of press time, both the WHO and the cruise operator have not confirmed to the Global Times whether there is any Chinese national on board.

The WHO told the Global Times that hantavirus infections are typically linked to environmental exposure (to infected rodents' urine or feces). While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness and requires careful patient monitoring, support and response.

The institute noted that although uncommon, limited human to human transmission has been reported in previous outbreaks of Andes virus - a specific species of hantavirus. 

It is facilitating coordination between WHO member states and the ship's operators for medical evacuation of symptomatic passengers, as well as full public health risk assessment and support to the remaining passengers on board, the medical authority told the Global Times.

This outbreak has drawn attention mainly due to the unique conditions on the cruise ship. The confined spaces and high population density easily facilitate virus transmission. As a mobile means of transportation, cruise ships may also spread the virus to ports of call, prompting stricter quarantine measures at relevant docking locations after the outbreak, Zhuang Shilihe, a Guangzhou-based medical expert, told the Global Times.

Cape Verde's Health Ministry said on Monday that for now, it will not allow the ship to dock because of public health concerns and that it would stay in open waters close to shore. Cape Verde has sent a medical team of two doctors, a nurse and a laboratory specialist to the ship over three trips, said Dr Ann Lindstrand, a WHO official in Cape Verde, according to NRP's report.

"The spillover risk of the hantavirus outbreak on this cruise is relatively manageable. In addition, hantavirus is not a new strain. Taking China as an example, mature guidelines for virus response, including identification, prevention and treatment, have been established. Vaccines are also available for high-risk groups, so there is no need to overstate its spillover risks," Zhuang said.

Although key details such as the sources of and the specific transmission chains are still under investigation, past cases and practical experience show that rodents, mainly striped field mice and brown rats, serve as the primary natural host of hantavirus. Hence, rodent prevention and elimination remain at the core of prevention and control work, the expert noted.