GENEVA, Switzerland – Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, briefed media Thursday on a cluster of hantavirus cases linked to a cruise ship, the MV Hondius.
Eight cases have been reported so far, including three deaths. Five of the eight cases have been confirmed as hantavirus. The hantavirus involved is the Andes virus, the only species known to be capable of limited transmission between humans, linked to close and prolonged contact.
Describing the situation, Dr Tedros said, “While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low.” He noted that given the incubation period, “it’s possible that more cases may be reported.”
WHO is coordinating closely with multiple countries under the International Health Regulations or IHR, rules that define the rights and obligations of countries and WHO in responding to public health events. This event demonstrates why the IHR exist, demonstrating the importance of global cooperation and solidarity in responding to health threats that know no borders.
“Our priorities are to ensure the affected patients receive care, that the remaining passengers on the ship are kept safe and treated with dignity, and to prevent any further spread of the virus,” Dr Tedros said.
WHO has taken a number of actions since it was notified of the situation on Saturday, 2 May 2026. The latest of these include deploying an expert on board the ship, to support a comprehensive medical assessment of all passengers and crew, while gathering critical information to evaluate their risk of infection.
WHO has arranged for the shipment of 2500 diagnostic kits from Argentina to laboratories in five countries to strengthen testing capacity. The Organization is also developing step-by-step operational guidance for the safe and respectful disembarkation and onward travel of passengers and crew when they arrive.