Health officials announced Friday that a deadly hantavirus outbreak has struck passengers aboard a cruise vessel bound for Spain, resulting in three deaths among eight people who became sick.
The World Health Organization confirmed that laboratory testing has verified six cases of Andes virus, a form of hantavirus, while two additional cases remain under investigation.
When authorities first became aware of the health crisis on May 2, the vessel was carrying 147 passengers and crew members, though 34 individuals had previously departed the ship.
Medical facilities in South Africa, the Netherlands and Switzerland are currently treating four patients from the outbreak. A suspected case transported to Germany has since tested negative for the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that it is actively tracking the situation involving American travelers on the affected cruise ship. Federal health officials plan to arrange a medical evacuation flight to transport U.S. passengers to Omaha, Nebraska.
According to cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions, 17 American citizens are currently aboard the vessel.
The ship departed from Cabo Verde on May 6 and is traveling toward Spain’s Canary Islands, where passengers are scheduled to leave the vessel.
While the WHO assessed the threat to the general global population as minimal, officials described the risk level for those aboard the cruise ship as moderate.
Health investigators believe the initial infection may have occurred before the person boarded the ship, potentially during travel through Argentina and Chile, with subsequent transmission happening among passengers and crew during the voyage.
