WHO confirms Andes strain of hantavirus in cruise ship passengers, with 3 transferred from ship for treatment – CBC

3 people, including ship’s doctor, transferred from ship for medical treatment, 1 new case suspected

May 06, 2026

Health authorities have identified the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can be transmitted from person to person, in passengers who were on a cruise ship at the centre of a deadly outbreak of the rare infection, officials said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, three patients with suspected hantavirus infections were evacuated from the MV Hondius ship and were being flown to the Netherlands on Wednesday, the UN’s health agency said. The vessel remained off Cape Verde, with nearly 150 people on board, waiting to head to Spain’s Canary Islands.

The ship’s doctor was among the three transferred. The doctor’s condition has improved, Spain’s health ministry said, after he was described earlier in the week as being in serious condition. Oceanwide Expeditions, the ship’s company, also told The Associated Press the doctor is in stable condition.

The Dutch foreign ministry said the three being evacuated were a 56-year-old Briton, a 41-year-old Dutch national and a 65-year-old German. The ministry said they would be “immediately transferred to specialized hospitals in Europe.” A Dutch hospital confirmed it would take one, and German authorities said they were preparing for a second.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/hondius-ship-hantavirus-andes-strain-9.7189281