Cruise Ship Outbreak Points to Hantavirus Spreading Among Humans

The cruise ship where a handful of passengers contracted a rare respiratory virus, stranding hundreds aboard, will travel to the Canary Islands once two ill crew members are medically evacuated, the World Health Organization said, adding it suspects limited transmission between passengers.

Two passengers have so far been confirmed to have a variant of hantavirus, a rare infection that typically spreads to humans through contact with infected rodents and their droppings. One was among three people who have died in the outbreak and the other is in intensive care in South Africa, the WHO said.