Cruise ship outbreak leaves 3 dead as officials delay medical evacuations and probe hantavirus threat

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has left three people dead and several others ill, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement posted to X.The U.N. health agency said one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, while five additional suspected cases are pending. Of the six people affected, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.The WHO said it is coordinating with governments and the ship’s operator to arrange the medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, while continuing to assess the public health risk to those still on board."Detailed investigations are ongoing, including further laboratory testing, and epidemiological investigations," the WHO said. "Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing."WHAT IS HANTAVIRUS, THE CAUSE OF GENE HACKMAN’S WIFE’S DEATH? The cruise ship MV Hondius is stationary off the port of Praia, Cape Verde, on May 3, 2026. An outbreak of severe acute respiratory illness on board the ship has resulted in two deaths and one patient in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa. The patient tested positive