Health explainer
Hantaviruses are rodent-borne viruses. Some can cause severe lung or kidney disease, but human illness is uncommon and depends on exposure.
People are usually infected through contact with urine, droppings or saliva from infected rodents, especially when contaminated material is disturbed.
WHO states that limited human-to-human transmission has been documented for Andes virus among close contacts, but this remains uncommon.
ECDC assessed risk to the EU/EEA general population as very low. WHO assessed global risk as low, while separating cruise-ship risk as moderate.
This site is informational and is not medical advice. Follow local public-health guidance and seek medical care if you may have been exposed and develop symptoms.
Official public-health sources drive medical data. AIS and operator sources provide vessel context, and signal or media items cannot directly change case counts without review.
Spain: WHO describes Spain and Tenerife as part of the coordinated disembarkation and response plan.
Cabo Verde: WHO describes Cabo Verde as part of the response, with medical evacuation flights departing from Cabo Verde.
Netherlands: Dutch-flagged vessel, national IHR coordination and hospital care in the Netherlands are described by WHO.
South Africa: WHO describes intensive care in Johannesburg and laboratory confirmation through South Africa's NICD.
No. Different hantaviruses are linked to different regions, rodent reservoirs and illness patterns.