Deadly hantavirus outbreak strikes luxury cruise. What you should know about the disease
Key takeaways
- A suspected outbreak of hantavirus, a rare but deadly disease that attacks the lungs, has left three people dead and several others severely ill aboard a luxury cruise ship.
- Here’s what we know about the voyage and the virus that also made headlines last year after it killed Gene Hackman’s 65-year-old wife, Betsy Arakawa.
- On Monday, the WHO announced that the luxury ship carrying 147 passengers and crew had two laboratory-confirmed cases and five suspected cases of hantavirus.
This aerial picture shows a general view of the cruise ship MV Hondius off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on Sunday. (AFP via Getty Images) By Karen Garcia Staff Writer Follow May 5, 2026 2:59 PM PT 6 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
A suspected outbreak of hantavirus, a rare but deadly disease that attacks the lungs, has left three people dead and several others severely ill aboard a luxury cruise ship.
Here’s what we know about the voyage and the virus that also made headlines last year after it killed Gene Hackman’s 65-year-old wife, Betsy Arakawa.