Human to human hantavirus transmission suspected on cruise but risk to public low, WHO says

Author Ann Lane is one of two Irish women on board the MV Hondius, which is anchored off the coast of Cape Verde

The MV Hondius cruise ship is anchored at a port in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, May 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Arilson Almeida)

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that it suspects some rare human to ​human transmission took place between close contacts on board a luxury cruise ship hit by seven confirmed or suspected hantavirus cases.

A Dutch couple and a German ‌national have died, while a British national was evacuated from the ship and is in intensive care in South Africa, officials said. Three more suspected cases affect people who are still on board, one of whom has a mild fever.