Published on: 2026-05-04
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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“In connection with the tragic deaths of people, we are taking urgent measures to eliminate the consequences of the antavirus outbreak on board the cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean,” stated the director of the European regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO), Hans Kluge, on Monday.
An outbreak of a deadly strain of antavirus on board the cruise liner MV Hondius has led to the death of three people. One patient is in the intensive care unit in South Africa. The World Health Organization is coordinating the evacuation and medical examination of ship passengers.
At the moment, after laboratory testing, it is reported in the WHO statement that among the ship’s passengers one case of illness has been confirmed. Five more are still under examination.
“A serious local event”
“This is a serious event of local significance, so there is no need to panic. At this stage, there is no necessity to restrict travel,” stated the regional director of IOM for Africa, Mohammed Yakub Djanabi.
“Our goals are clear: to save lives, localize risks, and provide countries with support through scientifically justified measures,” he added.
A WHO representative, Banu Bhatnagar, told the UN News Service that infection with this virus is rare and usually associated with contact with infected rodents: “In some cases, the disease can proceed in a severe form, but the virus is extremely rarely transmitted from person to person. Currently, the risk to the general public remains low, and there is no reason for concern or to introduce travel restrictions.”
Hantaviruses cause severe diseases, most often affecting the lungs or kidneys. Worldwide, at least 10,000 cases of infection are registered annually; the majority of them occur in Asia and Europe.
Symptoms appear within one to six weeks after contact with an infected carrier (rodent) and typically include fever, headache, muscle pains, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting. Human-to-human transmission of the virus is extremely rare.
Efforts of the WHO
VOZ closely cooperates with the cruise liner operator and the countries involved to provide medical assistance to the infected, coordinate evacuation, and conduct a comprehensive risk assessment. Two patients with disease symptoms were evacuated from the ship; the remaining passengers, as well as the crew, are quarantined on board and receive necessary assistance.
An investigation of the disease outbreak is simultaneously ongoing: laboratory tests, epidemiological analysis, and genetic sequencing of the virus are being conducted.
WHO informed national medical authorities involved in countries in accordance with International Health Regulations and is preparing updated information about the disease outbreak.
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