Hantavirus outbreak: 3 more patients evacuated from cruise ship
Hantavirus explained
Three patients with suspected hantavirus infections were evacuated from a cruise ship and being flown to the Netherlands on Wednesday, the U.N. health agency said, as the vessel at the center of a deadly outbreak remained off Cape Verde with nearly 150 people on board waiting to head to Spain’s Canary Islands. Board certified physician Dr. Leigh Vinocur joined LiveNOW from FOX's Christy Matino to explain what the virus is and how it spreads.
Three more patients were evacuated Wednesday from the Atlantic cruise ship experiencing a rare hantavirus outbreak.
Here is the latest on the outbreak:
Hantavirus outbreak latest
This aerial view shows a boat heading towards the port from the cruise ship MV Hondius, stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 6, 2026. Evacuations were taking place on May 6, 2026 from a cruise ship stricken with a deadl
What we know:
On Wednesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said three suspected hantavirus case patients were evacuated from the ship and on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands.
Photos shared on social media showed medical teams in protective gear.
As of Wednesday, eight cases were involved, with five confirmed as hantavirus by laboratory testing. Three people have died.
What we don't know:
WHO officials didn’t give details about the three latest patients that were involved and evacuated.
It’s still unclear where the virus originated, but Tedros said Wednesday the overall public health risk remained low.
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Andes strain
Dig deeper:
The type of virus in this outbreak has been confirmed as Andes hantavirus by several health officials treating patients in various countries, WHO said.
The WHO says the Andes virus, a specific species of hantavirus, is found in South America, primarily in Argentina and Chile. It can be spread between people, though this is rare and only through close contact such as by sharing a bed or food, experts say.
Symptoms can appear up to eight weeks after exposure, officials have said.
What they're saying:
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness, said the organization is investigating possible human-to-human transmission on the ship, and that officials suspect the first infected person likely contracted the virus before boarding. She said officials have been told there are no rats on board.
Later on Wednesday, Argentine officials investigating the outbreak's origins anonymously told The Associated Press the leading theory is that a Dutch couple contracted the virus during a bird-watching tour in the city of Ushuaia before boarding.
They said the couple visited a landfill during the bird-watching tour where they may have been exposed to rodents carrying the infection.
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Hantavirus cruise ship itinerary
Big picture view:
The cruise at the center of the outbreak is the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius luxury cruise ship.
The ship left Argentina on April 1 for a weekslong polar cruise, with stops scheduled in Antarctica and several isolated islands in the South Atlantic.
Presently:
The ship is now in the Atlantic off West Africa's island nation of Cape Verde, and the World Health Organization said passengers are isolating in their cabins.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from World Health Organization officials in statements posted on social media. Background information was taken from The Associated Press and previous FOX Television Station reporting. This story was reported from Detroit.