Health authorities across several countries are racing to trace and contain an outbreak of the hantavirus, which has killed three persons.

This development occurred after the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday, 7th May, 2026, that five confirmed infections had been identified among people connected to the cruise ship MV Hondius.

Three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – have died since the vessel departed Argentina last month.

The first suspected case was a 70-year-old Dutchman, who suddenly fell ill on the ship with a fever, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea, South Africa’s Health Department told CNN. He died on board on April 11.

Meanwhile, a total of 146 people from 23 different countries – including 17 Americans – are still aboard the vessel under “strict precautionary measures,” operator Oceanwide Expeditions said Thursday.

While at least 30 passengers disembarked at the remote South Atlantic island of Saint Helena in late April and several critical cases were air-evacuated to Europe this week, those remaining passengers are scheduled to arrive in Spain’s Canary Islands this weekend before they are flown back to their respective home countries.

Spanish authorities said in their latest update that the ship will arrive in Tenerife around noon local time (7:00 a.m. ET) on Sunday.

Speaking to CNN from onboard the virus-stricken ship, Stephen Kornfeld – a physician who was holidaying on the cruise – described how he had to jump into action after the crew doctor fell ill.

“Over 12 to 24 hours, it became clear that there were a number of people sick and that they were getting sicker. And I sort of fell into the role of becoming the ship doctor,” he said.