United News of Bangladesh

South African scientists quickly identified a rare hantavirus outbreak aboard a Dutch cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean after an urgent email from a UK-based health official triggered an international effort involving experts from South America and the United States. Dr. Lucille Blumberg, an infectious disease specialist at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), said the process began on May 1 after a passenger from the cruise ship MV Hondius was evacuated to a Johannesburg hospital with suspected pneumonia. Several others aboard the vessel had also fallen ill. The passenger had been evacuated from Ascension Island, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic, prompting concerns over a possible outbreak on the ship. Blumberg said despite the public holiday in South Africa, experts moved swiftly to investigate the illness. “At first, we considered diseases commonly linked to cruise ships, including Legionnaires’ disease and bird flu,” she said. However, tests for those illnesses and other respiratory infections all returned negative. Investigators then focused on the ship’s travel history from Argentina and reports that passengers had visited bird-watching sites in South America where rodents were also present. That led experts to suspect hantavirus, a rare rodent-borne disease known to exist in parts of Argentina and Chile. South African specialists collaborated with hantavirus experts in South America and the United States through the World Health Organization (WHO). Blood tests later confirmed the British passenger was infected with the Andes strain of hantavirus, one of the few strains capable of human-to-human transmission, according to the WHO. A Dutch woman who had also disembarked from the ship in St. Helena and later died in South Africa was posthumously confirmed to have the same virus. The WHO subsequently informed the cruise ship about the outbreak. The MV Hondius later arrived in Rotterdam, where it underwent disinfection procedures before the remaining crew members disembarked. South Africa’s health ministry said the British patient has shown signs of recovery. Blumberg said the rapid response highlighted the importance of international cooperation in tackling infectious disease outbreaks.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned that the risk of Ebola spreading in Congo and neighboring Uganda remains high at both national and regional levels, although the global threat is still considered low. The assessment came as WHO officials said the outbreak, which has already caused more than 130 suspected deaths, may continue for at least two more months despite intensified international response efforts. The WHO has classified the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, calling for a coordinated global response. Earlier this week, the agency raised concerns over the rapid spread and scale of infections. Health experts said the outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments. The virus reportedly circulated undetected for several weeks after the first known death because initial tests focused on a different and more common Ebola strain. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 51 confirmed cases have so far been recorded in Congo’s Ituri and North Kivu provinces, along with two confirmed cases in Uganda. In addition, authorities have reported nearly 600 suspected infections and 139 suspected deaths. “We know that the scale of the epidemic is much larger,” Tedros said, adding that case numbers are expected to rise further. Congo is expected to receive shipments of an experimental Ebola vaccine developed by Oxford researchers from the United States and Britain, according to virologist Jean-Jacques Muyembe of the National Institute of Biomedical Research. Authorities said the vaccine would be administered experimentally to monitor its effectiveness against the disease. In Bunia, where the first known death was recorded, schools and churches remained open Wednesday, though many residents were seen wearing face masks amid growing public concern. Residents reported sharp increases in the prices of protective items, with disinfectants that previously sold for about one dollar now costing more than four dollars. Aid workers described severe pressure on local health facilities. Trish Newport of Doctors Without Borders said hospitals in Bunia are overwhelmed with suspected Ebola patients and lack proper isolation facilities. In Mongbwalu, the epicenter of the outbreak, daily activities including gold mining and cross-border movement with Uganda have continued, although awareness campaigns are increasing. Health experts said the delayed detection of the virus, population movement and ongoing insecurity in eastern Congo have complicated efforts to contain the outbreak. Armed rebel activity in some areas has also hindered humanitarian operations. Congo’s Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said the first Ebola-related death occurred on April 24 in Bunia, but confirmation took weeks, allowing the virus to spread further. WHO official Dr Anne Ancia said authorities have yet to identify the outbreak’s “patient zero” and warned that funding shortages are negatively affecting the humanitarian response. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would expand its support for Ebola response efforts, including funding for 50 emergency clinics in affected areas. The United States has already contributed $13 million to the response, with additional support expected.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo and neighboring Uganda a public health emergency of international concern following more than 300 suspected infections and 88 deaths. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the decision, while the UN health agency clarified in a post on X that the outbreak does not qualify as a pandemic emergency similar to COVID-19 and advised countries against shutting international borders. The WHO said a laboratory-confirmed Ebola case has been identified in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, nearly 1,000 kilometres from the outbreak’s epicentre in the eastern Ituri province, raising concerns over wider transmission. According to the agency, the infected patient had recently travelled from Ituri. Additional suspected cases have also emerged in North Kivu province, a densely populated region bordering Ituri. Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids such as blood, vomit and semen. The disease is highly infectious and often fatal. Health authorities said the current outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Although Congo and Uganda have experienced more than 20 Ebola outbreaks in the past, this is only the third outbreak involving the Bundibugyo virus. WHO said all but two of the reported cases were recorded in Congo, while the remaining two were identified in Uganda. The Bundibugyo strain was first detected in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district during a 2007-08 outbreak that infected 149 people and killed 37. The second outbreak occurred in Isiro, Congo, in 2012, resulting in 57 cases and 29 deaths. The WHO’s emergency declaration is intended to mobilise international support and resources. However, previous global emergency declarations have drawn criticism for failing to ensure rapid delivery of vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tools to affected countries. Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jean Kaseya, said a significant number of active cases remain within communities, particularly in Mongwalu, where the outbreak was first detected. He noted that ongoing armed conflict, militant activity and population movement linked to mining operations in eastern Congo and across the Ugandan border are complicating containment efforts and contact tracing. Authorities officially confirmed the outbreak in Ituri province on Friday. By Saturday, the Africa CDC reported 336 suspected cases and 87 deaths in Congo. Tedros said there remain major uncertainties regarding the actual number of infections and the geographical spread of the outbreak, adding that epidemiological links among known and suspected cases are still unclear. The two Ugandan cases involved travellers from Congo, including one patient who later died in a hospital in Kampala. WHO warned that the high positivity rate among tested samples, transmission to Kampala and clusters of deaths in Ituri suggest the outbreak may be far larger than currently reported, posing serious local and regional risks. Dr Kaseya said delayed detection allowed the virus to spread for weeks before authorities responded. According to Africa CDC, the outbreak likely began in April, but by the time officials were alerted through social media reports on May 5, at least 50 deaths had already occurred. The earliest known suspected patient, a 59-year-old man, developed symptoms on April 24 and died three days later in a hospital in Ituri. WHO also reported that at least four healthcare workers showing Ebola symptoms have died during the outbreak.

The world is falling short on health targets, with progress uneven, slowing, and in some areas reversing, according to the World Health Statistics 2026 report, published on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO). The World Health Statistics 2026 report sends a clear message - while global health efforts are delivering results, progress is fragile and insufficient. Accelerated action, stronger health systems, and improved data are urgently needed to renew progress toward the 2030 health goals, WHO said. While there have been meaningful improvements in global health over the past decade, with millions benefiting from better prevention, treatment and access to essential services, persistent and emerging challenges mean that the world remains off track to achieve any of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The notable progress outlined in the report includes: new HIV infections fell by 40% between 2010 and 2024; both tobacco use and alcohol consumption have declined since 2010; and the number of people needing interventions for neglected tropical diseases has dropped by 36% between 2010 and 2024. Access to services that shape health outcomes expanded rapidly between 2015 and 2024. During this period, 961 million people gained access to safely managed drinking water, 1.2 billion to sanitation, 1.6 billion to basic hygiene, and 1.4 billion to clean cooking solutions. Encouragingly, the WHO African Region has achieved faster-than-global reductions in HIV (-70%) and tuberculosis (-28%), and the South-East Asia Region is on track to meet its 2025 milestone for malaria reduction. However, challenges remain. For example, the report said, malaria incidence increased by 8.5% since 2015, moving the world further away from global targets while overall progress remains highly uneven across regions. Preventable risks continue to undermine health, slowing progress. Anaemia affects 30.7% of women of reproductive age, with no improvement over the past decade. The prevalence of overweight among children under five reached 5.5% in 2024. Violence against women remains widespread, with intimate partner violence affecting 1 in 4 women globally. These persistent risks highlight the urgent need for stronger prevention and social protection policies. “These data tell a story of both progress and persistent inequality, with many people – especially women, children and those in underserved communities – still denied the basic conditions for a healthy life,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. . “Investing in stronger, more equitable health systems, including resilient health data systems is essential to target action, close gaps and ensure accountability.” Urgent need to protect progress under pressure Progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) has slowed sharply. The global UHC service coverage index rose only slightly from 68 to 71 between 2015 and 2023. One quarter of the global population faced financial hardship from health costs, and 1.6 billion people were living in or pushed into poverty due to out-of-pocket health spending in 2022. At the same time, childhood vaccination coverage remains below target, with immunity gaps contributing to outbreaks. Although global maternal mortality has fallen by 40% since 2000, it remains nearly three times higher than the 2030 target. Under-five mortality has declined by 51%, yet many countries are off track. Progress in reducing premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases has slowed significantly since 2015. Many drivers of ill health – nutritional, behavioural and environmental risks – are not improving fast enough. Air pollution contributed to an estimated 6.6 million deaths worldwide in 2021, while inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene contributed to 1.4 million deaths in 2019. “These trends reflect too many deaths that could have been avoided,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems, Access and Data. “With rising environmental risks, health emergencies, and a worsening health financing crisis, we must act urgently – strengthening primary health care, investing in prevention, and securing sustainable financing to build resilient health systems and get back on track.” The COVID-19 pandemic further exposed vulnerabilities in global health systems. Between 2020 and 2023, it was linked to an estimated 22.1 million excess deaths, including indirect deaths. This is more than three times the number of officially reported COVID-19 deaths. This reveals the scale of the pandemic’s global impact, reversing a decade of gains in life expectancy, with recovery remaining incomplete and uneven across regions. Better data, better health decisions The report highlights major data gaps that prevent full assessment of progress. As of end 2025, only 18% of countries were reporting mortality data to WHO within one year, and nearly one third have never reported cause-of-death data. Just one third of countries meet WHO standards for high-quality mortality data, while about half have low or very low-quality or no data. Of the estimated 61 million deaths globally in 2023, only about one third were reported with cause-of-death information, and only about one fifth had meaningful International Classification of Diseases (ICD) coded data. “Data gaps severely limit the ability to monitor real-time health trends, compare outcomes across countries, and design effective public health responses,” said Dr Alain Labrique, Director for the Department of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. “Country efforts to invest in stronger systems, digitalization and improved reporting standards are encouraging and should be sustained – they are essential to enable countries to collect, integrate, analyse and use health data for better decisions”.

The operator of the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius said it is awaiting further information before deciding whether the vessel will continue its scheduled cruises later this summer. Oceanwide Expeditions said on Wednesday it expects clarity by the end of the week on whether the Dutch-flagged ship will proceed with its planned voyages, including an Arctic cruise scheduled for later in May. The development comes after an outbreak on board the vessel, which has so far resulted in 11 reported cases, including nine confirmed infections, and three deaths. Health officials believe a Dutch couple among the victims were initially exposed to the virus during a visit to South America. More than 120 passengers and some crew members disembarked in Spain’s Canary Islands earlier this week and have since been placed in quarantine across several countries. Following the evacuation, the vessel departed for Rotterdam in the Netherlands, where it is expected to arrive around May 17 or 18. According to the company, 25 crew members, two health workers and the body of one deceased passenger remain on board, with no one currently showing symptoms of the virus. Earlier, Oceanwide had indicated that it did not expect any disruption to its operations, including a cruise set to begin on May 29. However, it has now said a final decision will depend on further assessments in the coming days. Hantavirus is typically transmitted through contact with infected rodent droppings and is not easily spread between humans, though the Andes strain linked to the outbreak may allow limited person-to-person transmission. Symptoms usually appear between one and eight weeks after exposure.  

Researchers in Australia have developed a next-generation malaria vaccine that requires no refrigeration and shows strong potential to provide long-lasting protection and reduce transmission by mosquitoes. The vaccine is predicted to be low-cost, and its cold-chain independence strongly enhances its deployability, said a statement of Australia's Griffith University released on Wednesday. Malaria kills more than 500,000 people each year, mostly in developing countries where vaccine storage and distribution remain major challenges. "Existing vaccines offer only partial and short-lived protection and are difficult to distribute across the globe as they require strict refrigeration," said Griffith University Professor Bernd Rehm, whose team led the vaccine development. The vaccine remained stable and effective for at least one month at temperatures up to 37 degrees Celsius, removing the need for cold-chain logistics and improving access in rural and remote areas, said the study published in the journal Small. "It attacks two critical stages at once -- before infection and during transmission by stopping the parasite from reaching and infecting the liver, and also by preventing parasites from developing inside mosquitoes and spreading to others," Rehm said. The vaccine uses engineered bacterial particles, acting like a scaffold to display key malaria proteins, training the immune system to recognize and destroy the parasite, researchers said. Preclinical results showed the vaccine reduced liver infection by up to 80 percent, completely protected about a quarter of recipients, and cut mosquito transmission by roughly two-thirds, with immunity lasting at least six months.

A cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak has reached the Canary Islands after several passengers and crew members were connected to confirmed and suspected infections. The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has so far been tied to three confirmed cases and five suspected ones. Among the confirmed cases are a Dutch woman who died, a British passenger receiving intensive care treatment in South Africa and a Swiss passenger being treated in Zurich, reports BBC. Suspected cases include a British national, a Dutch crew member and a German passenger. Two of them have been transferred to the Netherlands for treatment, while another remains in stable condition aboard a delayed evacuation flight. Although none of the suspected cases have tested positive yet, two individuals have shown symptoms associated with the virus. Two British passengers who left the ship earlier during its Atlantic voyage from Argentina to Cape Verde are currently isolating at home in the UK after possible exposure. According to the UK Health Security Agency, neither has developed symptoms. Meanwhile, health officials in the US states of Arizona and Georgia said they are monitoring three American passengers who disembarked before the vessel arrived in Cape Verde. None have shown signs of illness. Passengers remaining on board are undergoing medical assessments and are leaving the ship in stages based on nationality. Several Spanish and French travellers have already returned home, while countries including the UK have arranged special flights for their citizens. What is the Andes strain of hantavirus?Hantavirus refers to a group of viruses rather than a single disease. The virus family takes its name from a river in South Korea. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there are more than 20 hantavirus species, most of which are transmitted to humans through exposure to infected rodents such as rats and mice, especially via dried urine and droppings. One particular variant — the Andes strain — is believed capable of spreading between humans, though such transmission is considered rare. South African health authorities confirmed that the British passenger being treated in Johannesburg and the Dutch woman who died were infected with the Andes strain. The Andes virus is commonly found in Argentina and Chile. A major outbreak in Argentina in 2018 was linked to a social gathering where one infected individual is believed to have transmitted the virus to 34 people, resulting in 11 deaths. How does this affect response measures?The confirmation of the Andes strain has increased concerns that transmission may have occurred through close human contact on the ship in addition to possible exposure to rodents. As a precaution, passengers remaining aboard the vessel are being confined to their cabins to reduce contact. British nationals returning home are also expected to self-isolate. A WHO physician on board reported that no additional passengers had developed symptoms as of Saturday. Health experts say containing the outbreak will depend on strict measures including isolating infected individuals, monitoring close contacts, maintaining hand hygiene and following infection-control procedures. The exact source of the outbreak remains unclear. Earlier WHO findings suggested the first infected passengers had travelled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay during a bird-watching tour that included areas inhabited by rodents known to carry the virus. Despite the outbreak, specialists say the overall risk to the global population remains very low, with no evidence so far of spread beyond the cruise ship. How does hantavirus spread?Hantavirus is usually transmitted through contact with rodent saliva, urine or droppings. People often become infected after inhaling virus particles that become airborne when contaminated rodent waste is disturbed. Infections can also occur through rodent bites. The Andes strain is currently the only known hantavirus capable of spreading between humans, and even then transmission is uncommon. Experts say person-to-person spread generally requires prolonged and close interaction with someone showing symptoms. WHO officials note that the virus does not spread in the same way as influenza or Covid-19, which are transmitted more easily through coughing or sneezing. What are the symptoms and how dangerous is it?Hantavirus can lead to two serious illnesses. The first is Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which initially causes symptoms such as fever, fatigue and muscle pain. Patients may later experience headaches, chills, dizziness and abdominal problems. In severe cases, breathing difficulties can develop rapidly, requiring urgent medical care. The Andes strain is commonly associated with HPS, which carries a fatality rate of between 20 and 40 percent. The incubation period can range from one to eight weeks, making early detection more difficult. The second illness is Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), which begins with flu-like symptoms but can progress to kidney damage, internal bleeding, low blood pressure and acute kidney failure. Is there a vaccine or treatment?There is currently no specific cure for hantavirus infections, although prompt medical treatment can improve survival chances. Supportive care may include oxygen therapy, ventilator support and dialysis for patients with kidney complications. Severely ill patients often require treatment in intensive care units. Researchers are also testing potential new treatments. No widely available vaccine exists yet, although some vaccines targeting local hantavirus strains are being used in China and South Korea.    

The head of the World Health Organization on Saturday sought to ease public anxiety in Tenerife, where passengers from a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak are set to be evacuated. He emphasized that the situation should not be compared to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dutch-registered cruise ship MV Hondius, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew members, is traveling toward Spain’s Canary Islands and is expected to reach Tenerife early Sunday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Tenerife alongside Spain’s Health Minister Monica Garcia and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to oversee preparations for the safe evacuation of passengers and selected crew members. In a public message to Tenerife residents, Tedros acknowledged lingering fears from the COVID-19 era but stressed that the current outbreak does not pose a similar threat. He said the public health risk from hantavirus remains low and reiterated that health experts are closely monitoring the situation. Authorities and the cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, confirmed that no one currently aboard the ship is showing symptoms of the virus. Hantavirus is a potentially deadly disease commonly spread through exposure to contaminated rodent droppings. Human-to-human transmission is considered rare, although the Andes strain detected in this outbreak may occasionally spread between people. Symptoms can appear anywhere from one to eight weeks after exposure. So far, three people linked to the outbreak have died, while five former passengers have tested positive after leaving the ship. Concerns Grow Among Tenerife ResidentsSome residents of Tenerife have expressed unease about the ship’s arrival. Local resident Simon Vidal questioned why the vessel was being brought to the Canary Islands instead of another location. Others voiced mixed feelings, balancing concern with sympathy for passengers. Venezuelan immigrant Samantha Aguero said people feel uncertain about the safety measures in place but also recognize the need for compassion toward those onboard. Strict Safety Measures Planned for EvacuationSpanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said passengers and selected crew members would leave the ship under strict health protocols. The vessel will stay offshore rather than dock directly, and passengers will be transported to land in small boats. Before anyone disembarks, health officials will screen them for symptoms, and evacuation flights will already be prepared in Tenerife. People from more than 20 countries are currently aboard the ship. WHO epidemic expert Maria Van Kerkhove said evacuation flights are expected to be completed by Sunday and Monday. The United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to send aircraft to repatriate their citizens. U.S. passengers will reportedly undergo quarantine at a medical facility in Nebraska. Spanish nationals onboard will be transferred to a medical center and placed under quarantine. According to Oceanwide Expeditions, there are 13 Spanish passengers and one Spanish crew member aboard. Passengers will not be allowed to take most of their belongings with them. They may carry only a small bag containing essentials such as documents, a phone, and a charger. Some crew members, along with the body of a passenger who died onboard, will remain on the ship, which will later sail to the Netherlands for full disinfection. Emergency Medical Plane on StandbyDutch officials said Spain has activated the European Union’s civil protection system to prepare a specialized medical evacuation aircraft in case someone aboard becomes seriously ill. Any infected person needing urgent treatment would be flown to mainland Europe. The Dutch government is coordinating with Spanish authorities and the cruise company to arrange the return of Dutch passengers and crew once health officials approve. Those without symptoms will complete six weeks of home quarantine under medical supervision. Because the ship sails under the Dutch flag, the Netherlands may also temporarily host passengers from other countries during quarantine. Global Efforts Underway to Trace Former PassengersHealth agencies around the world are now monitoring more than two dozen passengers who left the ship before the outbreak was identified. Officials are also attempting to trace anyone who may have had contact with them. On April 24, nearly two weeks after the first onboard death, more than two dozen people from at least 12 countries disembarked without contact tracing procedures in place. Authorities did not officially confirm hantavirus infection in a passenger until May 2. Dutch public health officials are also monitoring passengers from a flight briefly boarded by a Dutch traveler from the ship who later died from hantavirus. Three passengers from that flight who developed symptoms have since tested negative, according to Dutch health authorities.   

Countries around the world are preparing to deal with the more than 140 passengers and crew members on board a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands. The vessel is expected to reach the Spanish island of Tenerife, off the coast of West Africa, early Sunday. At least three passengers have died, and several other people have been infected. Hantavirus is usually spread by the inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings and isn’t easily transmitted between people. Some scientists believe the Andes virus implicated in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases. But the World Health Organization says the risk to the wider public from the outbreak is low. Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure. Authorities and the cruise operator have been providing updates, but some key information is still lacking. Here’s what we don’t know: Where the outbreak originated Argentine investigators suspect a Dutch couple may have first contracted the virus while on a bird-watching trip before they boarded the cruise ship in Argentina on April 1. But no organization has confirmed where or how they acquired the disease. Argentina’s Health Ministry has zeroed in on the nation’s southernmost town, Ushuaia. Officials plan to travel there in the coming days, according to a written statement to The Associated Press. What happens next to the remaining passengers Spanish authorities are preparing to receive the remaining passengers and crew members on Tenerife. Officials said Friday that passengers will be evacuated in small boats to buses only once their repatriation flights are ready to take them. The United States agreed to send a plane to the Canary Islands to pick up its citizens, as will the British government. American passengers will be brought to a dedicated biocontainment and quarantine unit in Nebraska for assessment, officials said Friday. Other countries have not yet made their plans public, and it is not clear how long boat passengers will have to wait for their flights. Spain has requested medically equipped planes for passengers experiencing symptoms, Virginia Barcones, the country’s head of emergency services, said Friday. How many people may have been exposed Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions and Dutch officials said Thursday that more than two dozen people from at least 12 different countries left the ship at the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic on April 24. They included a Dutch woman who disembarked with her husband’s body. He was the first passenger to die, but it wasn’t until May 2 that health authorities first confirmed hantavirus in a ship passenger. The delay left countries scrambling to track the passengers who got off the ship some two weeks earlier. The passengers included a resident of the remote island of Tristan da Cunha who has been hospitalized with symptoms of hantavirus, according to the British Foreign Office. Stephen Doughty, the U.K. minister of overseas territories, said in a message to the British overseas territory that his thoughts were with “the islander currently in hospital and their spouse who is isolating.” The whereabouts of all of the passengers Many of the passengers who disembarked at St. Helena traveled on to other countries, including the Dutch woman whose husband died on board. She flew to Johannesburg then briefly boarded a plane preparing to fly to Amsterdam. She was removed because she was too ill to travel, and later died. South African and Dutch authorities are trying to trace the whereabouts of anyone who had contact with the woman during her travels. A flight attendant who had contact with her has tested negative for hantavirus after reporting symptoms. Some governments, like the United Kingdom, have confirmed the whereabouts of their citizens who left the boat. However, U.K. officials do not know or have not made public how many others they have come into contact with since. In the U.S., some state officials said they were monitoring a small number of residents who were on the ship and already went home. None has symptoms.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has moved to reassure residents of Spain’s Canary Island of Tenerife ahead of the expected arrival of a cruise ship carrying passengers exposed to hantavirus, saying the public health risk remains low. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew, is en route to the Spanish island and is expected to arrive early Sunday. The vessel is believed to have been affected by a hantavirus outbreak during its voyage. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, along with Spain’s Health Minister Monica Garcia and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, is scheduled to travel to Tenerife on Saturday to oversee coordination of disembarkation procedures. Concerns have been raised among some local residents who fear possible transmission of the virus, while some passengers have also expressed anxiety about their reception upon arrival. “I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word “outbreak” and watch a ship sail toward your shores, memories surface that none of us have fully put to rest. The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not dismiss it for a single moment.,” Tedros said in a message to Tenerife residents. “But I need you to hear me clearly: This is not another COVID. The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now,” he added. According to health officials, three people have died and five passengers who left the ship have tested positive for hantavirus infection. The virus is typically transmitted through contact with contaminated rodent droppings and is not easily spread between humans, although rare person-to-person transmission has been linked to the Andes strain. The WHO, Spanish authorities and the cruise operator Oceanwide stated that no one currently on board the vessel is showing symptoms. Tedros also said the WHO continues to monitor the situation and coordinate response measures, adding that the risk to both the Canary Islands and the wider world remains low.