Madrid, May 9, 2026 – The Europe Today: Two new suspected cases of hantavirus have been reported in Spain and on the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, intensifying concerns over an outbreak linked to a luxury cruise ship that has already been associated with three deaths.
Health authorities said the latest suspected infections are connected to passengers aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise vessel MV Hondius, where several confirmed cases of the Andes strain of hantavirus have emerged.
The World Health Organization has, however, reiterated that the risk to the wider public remains low, noting that hantavirus does not spread easily between people.
Spanish health officials confirmed that a 32-year-old woman in Alicante province is being tested after developing symptoms consistent with a hantavirus infection. Authorities said she had briefly been seated two rows behind a Dutch passenger from the cruise ship during a flight in South Africa.
The Dutch woman reportedly became ill before the flight departed from Johannesburg on April 25 and later died in hospital.
Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency said a British man on Tristan da Cunha is also suspected of having contracted the disease. Officials stated that he had been a passenger aboard the MV Hondius during its stop at the island between April 13 and 15.
WHO technical officer Anais Legand said the pattern of infections suggests a limited risk of broader transmission.
“Based on the dynamics of this outbreak, based on how it is spreading and not spreading amongst the people on the ship, the people who have disembarked, as well, we continue to consider the risk as low for the general population,” Legand said during an online briefing.
Health officials confirmed that the outbreak involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only known variant capable of limited human-to-human transmission, typically through prolonged close contact with symptomatic individuals.
Three people — a Dutch couple and a German national — have died in connection with the outbreak, marking what experts describe as the first known cluster of hantavirus cases linked to a cruise ship.
According to the WHO, four additional confirmed patients — two British nationals, one Dutch national and one Swiss national — are receiving treatment in hospitals in the Netherlands, South Africa and Switzerland. A fifth possible case is also under investigation.
The cruise ship, carrying around 150 passengers and crew, is currently en route to the Canary Islands, where passengers are expected to undergo health screening before disembarkation under new guidelines being finalized by international health authorities.
Cruise operator Oceanwide stated that no passengers currently onboard are showing symptoms of infection. The vessel is expected to dock in Tenerife on Sunday.
Authorities on Tristan da Cunha, home to roughly 200 residents and regarded as the world’s most remote inhabited island, said one island resident had been hospitalized while his wife was self-isolating.
In Spain, regional health officials said the suspected patient is experiencing mild respiratory symptoms and results of laboratory testing are expected within 24 to 48 hours. Authorities are also tracing her recent contacts.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified the outbreak as a Level 3 emergency response, the lowest level of activation.
Several countries, including the United States and Singapore, are monitoring or testing passengers who recently disembarked from the cruise ship as global health agencies continue efforts to contain the outbreak.
