Hantavirus Cases From Cruise Outbreak Rise To 13, Following New Case In Spain

GENEVA, May 27 (Reuters) – The number of Hantavirus cases linked to a cruise ship at the center of the outbreak has risen to 13, the head of the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

“Spain reported a new case among quarantined passengers, bringing the total number of cases to 13,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X. he said.

Ghebreyesus said that three of them died, but there have been no new deaths since May 2.

Ghebreyesus said, “The situation remains stable. Passengers who got sick receive the necessary care while others remain in quarantine.”

Over the past two weeks, all remaining passengers, crew members and medical staff have disembarked the MV Hondius luxury ship at the center of the outbreak.

Hantaviruses are rodent-borne viruses that can infect humans and cause diseases. The World Health Organization estimates there are 10,000 to 100,000 human cases worldwide each year, and severity varies by type.

(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin, Editing by Linda Pasquini)