Hantavirus cases rise to 13 after cruise ship outbreak

Spain has confirmed an additional case of hantavirus infection linked to the outbreak on board the cruise ship MV Hondius, bringing the total number of cases to 13, according to the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Providing an update on the situation, the WHO chief noted that no new fatalities have been recorded in recent weeks, Caliber.Az reports.

#Hantavirus update:
- Spain reported a new case among the passengers who are in quarantine, which brings the total number of cases to 13.
- There are no new deaths reported since May 2. The total number of deaths remains three out of 13 reported cases so far.

The situation… pic.twitter.com/rvGvL6jFgl

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 27, 2026

“There are no new deaths reported since May 2. The total number of deaths remains three out of 13 reported cases so far,” he said in a post on the social media platform X.

The outbreak was first identified in April aboard the MV Hondius. Among those who died were a married couple from the Netherlands and a German national.

At the time of the incident, there were 147 people on board the vessel. Following their evacuation, all individuals remain under quarantine as health authorities continue to monitor the situation.

By Tamilla Hasanova