Ongoing communication is taking place between WHO and the National IHR Focal Points of Cabo Verde, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom to support timely information sharing and coordinated response efforts.
On May 2, 2026, WHO was informed of a cluster of severe respiratory illness among passengers aboard a cruise ship carrying 147 passengers and crew. As of May 4, 2026, seven cases had been identified: two laboratory-confirmed hantavirus cases and five suspected cases. These include three deaths, one critically ill patient, and three people with mild symptoms.
Hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), also called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), is a viral respiratory illness that spreads from animals to humans. It is caused by hantaviruses in the genus Orthohantavirus, within the family Hantaviridae and order Bunyavirales. More than 20 species of these viruses have been identified. In the Americas, Sin Nombre virus is the leading cause of HPS in North America, while Orthohantavirus andesense causes most cases in South America.
