World4 min(s) read
Published 08:48 07 May 2026 GMT
The World Health Organisation has addressed growing fears over the recent Hantavirus outbreak after three passengers died aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Several others have also fallen ill after the ship completed its journey in Cape Verde on May 3, sparking concern over whether the virus could spread globally in the same way Covid-19 once did.
Hantavirus is typically transmitted through the urine and droppings of rodents, although some strains can spread from person to person. That possibility has left many people alarmed following reports linked to the cruise outbreak.
Despite public concern, the WHO has attempted to calm fears over the virus becoming another worldwide health crisis.
During a recent press conference, WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said, per ABC News: "This is not the next Covid, but it is a serious infectious disease. If people get infected, and infections are uncommon, they can die. People on the ship who are hearing this are very scared, rightly so.
"The general public might be scared as well. Accurate information is critical. Knowing what your actual exposure might be - most people will never be exposed to this."
Health officials have warned that symptoms can initially resemble the flu before becoming far more severe. Depending on the strain, the disease can carry a mortality rate of up to 50 percent.
Passengers infected during the outbreak were carefully transported to hospital as authorities worked to contain the spread.
Retired police officer Martin Anstee has been identified as one of the British passengers infected during the outbreak.
Speaking to Sky News from hospital, he said: “I’m doing OK. I’m not feeling too bad. There are still lots of tests to be done. I have no idea how long I’ll be in the hospital for. I’m in isolation at the moment.”
His wife Nicola also described the situation as deeply distressing while speaking to the Telegraph.
She said it had been "a very traumatic few days" before adding: “He’s relieved to be off the ship. He had it quite mild then it got a bit more serious and now he’s stable again.
“The fear with this virus is it can deteriorate very quickly so it’s been a bit up and down for him.
“I don’t believe he’s in imminent danger now but it was horrible.”
One of the major concerns surrounding Hantavirus is that symptoms can take time to appear, raising fears for passengers still isolating aboard the ship.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK response is being coordinated alongside international health agencies.
She said: "The outbreak of Hantavirus is very serious and deeply stressful for those affected and their families. The UK response is being led by the UK Health Security Agency working with the WHO.
"The Foreign Office is working urgently to support the UKHSA’s work overseas and to make sure British nationals on the MV Hondius can all get safely home with proper protection for public health.
"Foreign Office consular staff are in direct contact with British nationals onboard the ship and stand ready to provide further assistance to any British national in need of support overseas 24/7 - our crisis response centre has been operating for the last few days to provide support.
"Ministers are in close touch with our Dutch and Spanish counterparts and we have been working with other countries to facilitate the medical evacuations, to support our Overseas Territories and to get British nationals home safely as quickly as possible."
According to the WHO, Hantavirus can cause two potentially fatal illnesses: hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which attacks the lungs, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which affects the kidneys.
Early symptoms of HPS include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Later symptoms can include coughing, shortness of breath and chest tightness.
HFRS symptoms can include intense headaches, back pain, abdominal pain, fever, chills, nausea and blurred vision before progressing to low blood pressure, internal bleeding and acute kidney failure.
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