90-Second Read: Hantavirus: What is the cruise ship virus and how is it spread?

A cruise ship hit by an outbreak of Hantavirus has arrived in the Canary Islands. In late 2018, there was an Argentinian outbreak that was traced back to people who had attended a party, a single person with the virus is thought to have unwittingly spread the virus to 34 confirmed cases, with 11 deaths. The way Hantavirus spreads is different to flu, which is transmitted through droplets when people cough or sneeze. The Andes strain of the virus, which can rarely be passed from person to person, has been found among passengers of a cruise ship.

None have tested positive for Hantavirus, but two have shown symptoms. Authorities in two US states, Arizona and Georgia, have confirmed to the BBC they are monitoring three passengers who had returned to the US after disembarking the cruise before it reached Cape Verde. The latest data from the US shows that there were 890 cases of Hantavirus in the country from 1993-2023. The WHO has been working on the assumption that the virus could be spreading through very close contact from person to person on the ship and through contact with rodents.

Hantaviruses, which are named after a river in South Korea, describe a family of viruses rather than one single disease. But one strain, known as Andes virus, is thought to spread by human-to-human transmission, although very rarely. There is no specific treatment for Hantavirus infections, but early medical support can improve survival. In February 2025, Betsy Arakawa, the wife of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, died from a respiratory illness linked to Hantavirus.

This usually happens by breathing in the virus, for example when rodent urine and droppings that contain Hantavirus are stirred up into the air. The first, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), often starts with fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, followed by headaches, dizziness, chills, and abdominal issues. The WHO has previously said the first two cases had "travelled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay on a bird-watching trip which included visits to sites where the species of rat known to carry the virus was present".