The World Health Organization confirmed on Thursday that five of eight reported cases aboard the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius are confirmed hantavirus infections, with three additional suspected cases and three fatalities so far. The ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on 1 April for an Atlantic crossing and is now heading toward Tenerife following a stop in Cape Verde, where it had been anchored; the first victims, a Dutch couple, are believed to have been exposed to the Andes virus — the only hantavirus strain known to spread between humans — during a birdwatching trip through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before boarding. WHO officials stressed that the outbreak is not the beginning of a pandemic and is expected to remain limited if public health measures are maintained, though they cautioned that further cases cannot be ruled out given the virus's incubation period of up to six weeks.