Key Facts

• At least three people have died and three more are ill due to a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship.
• The World Health Organization confirmed one infection and is investigating further.
• The outbreak likely began on the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged ship sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde.
• Hantavirus spreads mainly through contact with urine or feces of infected rodents, but rare person-to-person transmission can occur.
• Symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
• An elderly man died on the ship, his wife later died in a hospital, and a third passenger with similar symptoms also died.
• The ship is currently docked in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde.
• Health authorities in South Africa and Cape Verde are working with the cruise operator to monitor and treat passengers and crew.
• Further testing and genetic analysis of the virus are underway to understand the outbreak and its risks.