About 40 passengers previously left ship hit by Hantavirus at island of St. Helena

Summary: Health officials around the world are rushing to track down dozens of passengers who left a cruise ship. Why? The ship had an outbreak of the Andes virus, a rare and deadly type of hantavirus. Three people have already died. The outbreak likely started when a Dutch couple caught the virus from rat droppings during a bird-watching trip in Argentina before boarding the ship. What makes the Andes virus so scary is that it is the only hantavirus known to spread from person to person. Now, authorities across four continents are monitoring anyone who might have been exposed.

Source: NPR URL: npr.org/2026/05/07/nx-s1-5814632/passengers-left-ship-hantavirus-st-helena (opens in new tab)