GENEVA, May 5. /TASS/. The number of hantavirus cases onboard the cruise ship MV Hondius has increased to seven, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

"As of 4 May 2026, seven cases (two laboratory confirmed cases of hantavirus and five suspected cases) have been identified, including three deaths, one critically ill patient and three individuals reporting mild symptoms," it said in its disease outbreak update.

According to the WHO, it was notified about "a cluster of severe acute respiratory illness, including two deaths and one critically ill passenger, aboard a Dutch-flagged cruise ship" on May 2, with the disease symptoms being first registered between April 6 and 28. The illness onset was "characterized by fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, rapid progression to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and shock." "Further investigations are ongoing," it said.

The cruise liner with about 150 passengers, mostly US, British, Spanish, and Dutch nationals, sailed off from Argentina’s Ushuaia three weeks ago and is heading to the Canary Islands. The ship has made several stopovers near islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Now, the MV Hondius has approached Cape Verde but has been banned from calling at the capital city’s port. Oceanwide Expeditions is seeking permission to dock in the Canary Islands so that passengers could leave the ship.

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses which can cause serious, even fatal illnesses, such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). People can catch hantavirus from contact with rodents, especially when exposed to their urine, droppings, and saliva.