Authorities Trace Passengers from Hantavirus Cruise Ship

Global health authorities are actively tracing passengers from the MV Hondiu cruise ship following a hantavirus outbreak that has confirmed five cases, including three deaths. The outbreak was detected after the ship disembarked at St Helena on April 24, with 150 passengers from 28 countries aboard.

The World Health Organization and UN Health Agency are involved in monitoring the situation, which has been classified as a Level 3 emergency response by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The hantavirus typically spreads through contact with rodent excretions, and human transmission is rare.

The ship had departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 and was expected to arrive at the Canary Islands on May 10. Among the affected are two British men and a Dutch couple, with one Dutch woman hospitalized in Amsterdam showing symptoms.

Health authorities in multiple countries, including the UK and the US, are monitoring individuals who were on the ship.