WHO Confirms 13th Hantavirus Case

A luxury cruise ship tied to a hantavirus outbreak now has 13 confirmed cases, the head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday. "Spain reported a new case among the passengers who are in quarantine, which brings the total number of cases to 13," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on X. "The situation remains stable." Three people have died, reports NBC News, though no additional deaths have been recorded since May 2, and health officials say the situation appears steady. There are currently 14 Spanish nationals who were aboard the MV Hondius in quarantine in Madrid, adds CNN.

Those who fell ill are being treated in a High-Level Isolation Unit, while others remain in quarantine, Tedros said. All remaining passengers, crew, and medical staff disembarked the MV Hondius—identified as the ship at the center of the outbreak—over the past two weeks. Hantaviruses are spread by rodents and can cause serious disease in humans; the WHO estimates there are 10,000 to 100,000 cases globally each year, with severity depending on the specific strain.