A cruise ship hantavirus outbreak has killed three people and sickened six others, according to the World Health Organization. One case received laboratory confirmation. Five additional cases remain suspected.
Hantavirus causes severe respiratory illness in humans. The virus spreads through contact with infected rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. Person-to-person transmission occurs rarely with most hantavirus strains, though some variants in Asia and Europe transmit between people more readily.
The closed environment of a cruise ship creates conditions that favor disease spread. Rodent infestations aboard vessels can contaminate food storage areas and ventilation systems. Passengers in close quarters face heightened exposure risk.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome carries a fatality rate around 38 percent in the United States. Early symptoms resemble flu: fever, muscle aches, fatigue. Patients progress to respiratory distress within days. Treatment remains supportive. No vaccine exists for most hantavirus strains.
The WHO statement did not identify the specific ship or cruise line. Details on how the virus entered the vessel remain unclear. Health authorities typically recommend pest control measures and improved sanitation on ships to prevent future outbreaks.