Hantavirus crops up on a cruise ship — what scientists are watching

2 min read Original article ↗
  • NEWS EXPLAINER

The group of rodent viruses can cause disease in humans, but cases are rare.

By

  1. Mohana Basu
  2. Rachel Fieldhouse

    1. Rachel Fieldhouse is a reporter for Nature in Sydney, Australia.

Infectious-disease researchers are eager to learn more about a suspected outbreak of hantavirus, on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The World Health Organization says two passengers have tested positive for a variant of hantavirus — a family of viruses that are carried by rodents but can also infect people — including a person who died on board the MV Hondius and another passenger who has been evacuated to a hospital in South Africa.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-01450-7

This story has been updated with the number of suspected and confirmed infections.

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