Cruise ship outbreak leaves 3 dead as officials delay medical evacuations and probe hantavirus threat | 3 May 2026 | A suspected hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has left three people dead and several others ill, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement posted to X. The U.N. health agency said one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, while five additional suspected cases are pending. Of the six people affected, three have died and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa. Oceanwide Expeditions, which operates the vessel, confirmed that three passengers died during the voyage and that one passenger is being treated in intensive care in Johannesburg. Two crew members on board also require urgent medical care, the company said.