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General · 4 May 2026

What is hantavirus, the disease killing cruise passengers

What is hantavirus, the disease killing cruise passengers

Illustration: AI-generated for editorial context. Not photographic evidence.

Three people have died and at least three others are ill after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship in the Atlantic, the World Health Organization said on Sunday. Hantavirus is a rare rodent-borne disease spread mainly through the urine, droppings or saliva of infected rats and mice. The pulmonary form kills around 38% of patients who develop respiratory symptoms, according to the US CDC, with no specific cure available.

Reported by CNN · How we write briefs

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