“We classify everybody on board as what we call a high-risk contact,” Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, told a media briefing.
She noted that currently “nobody on board has any symptoms,” but recommended “active monitoring and follow-up of all the passengers and crew who disembark for a 42-day period.”
However, she stressed that the risk to the public and people in the Canary Islands, where the MV Hondius is expected to dock on Sunday, remains “low.”
According to a WHO Disease Outbreak News update on Saturday, severe respiratory illness was first reported on the cruise ship on 2 May. At the time, there were 147 passengers and crew members onboard, while 34 others had already disembarked. All WHO’s contact points in concerned countries have been informed and are supporting international contact tracing.
As of 8 May, eight symptomatic cases have been reported, including three deaths. Six cases are laboratory-confirmed as Andes virus (ANDV) hantavirus infections.
The WHO urged the countries involved to continue public health coordination, including contact tracing, case management, infection prevention and transparent communication.
Early symptoms of hantavirus infection include headache, dizziness, chills, fever, myalgia, and gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain, according to the WHO.
Given that pre-symptomatic transmission in past ADNV outbreaks cannot be entirely ruled out, WHO also recommends self-monitoring, medical evaluation and mask-wearing for low-risk contacts if symptoms occur.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that all people aboard a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak should be considered “high-risk” contacts and actively monitored for 42 days.
“This is not COVID” and its risk to the general population remains “absolutely low,” Lindmeier said at a briefing in Geneva, as the agency continues to coordinate the response to the outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic.
“I need to stress again and again, even those who have been sharing cabins don’t seem to be both infected in some case … it’s not spreading anything close to how COVID was spreading,” he said.
Three people have died and several others have fallen ill aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, prompting a major international public health response involving countries across Europe, Africa and Latin America.
Media briefing on Hantavirus hosted by Dr Tedros at WHO headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland, May 7. [Photo / WHO]
Scientists have long recognized the importance of coral reefs in maintaining marine biodiversity, but a new study reveals that the true diversity of these ecosystems exists at a much smaller scale within the microbial communities that thrive alongside the coral.
Researchers from the University of Galway, in collaboration with the international Tara Pacific consortium, collected microbiome samples from 99 coral reefs across 32 Pacific islands. They successfully reconstructed the genomes of 645 microbial species, many of which had never been genetically described before.
These microbes, living in close association with specific coral species, are more than just bystanders in the reef ecosystem; they are integral to the health and functioning of the coral and the surrounding marine environment.
Coral reefs have earned the title of the “rainforests of the sea” due to their remarkable biodiversity, with many species relying on these reefs for shelter and food.
However, this new study suggests that much of the true diversity of coral reefs is found at the microscopic level, in the unseen coral microbiome. These microorganisms play key roles in nutrient cycling, helping corals thrive in nutrient-poor waters, and protecting them from disease.
One of the most exciting findings of the research is that many of these newly identified microbes contain biosynthetic gene clusters genetic blueprints that can produce bioactive compounds.
These compounds may have a wide range of applications in medicine, including the development of new drugs or treatments. For example, they could potentially be used to treat cancer, infections, or inflammatory diseases. The discovery of these gene clusters in coral reef microbes has opened up new possibilities for drug development.
Dr. Maggie Reddy, a lead researcher from the Ryan Institute at the University of Galway, pointed out that fewer than 1% of the microbial species identified in this study had been previously studied, underscoring the massive knowledge gap that still exists in the field of coral microbiomes.
This lack of data highlights the need for more research and further exploration of the complex interactions between coral reefs and their microbial inhabitants.
As coral reefs continue to face threats from climate change, pollution, and overfishing, the findings emphasize the urgency of protecting these ecosystems.
Coral reef destruction could lead to the loss of not just biodiversity, but also the molecular treasures hidden within these reefs, which could offer groundbreaking medical discoveries in the future.
Coral reefs’ hidden microbes hold potential for groundbreaking medical discoveries.
As of May 7, 2026, the outbreak has been linked to three deaths, including two Dutch nationals and one German passenger. A British passenger remains in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa, while additional confirmed and suspected cases are being monitored in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Singapore.
The Dutch-flagged ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 with 147 passengers and crew members from 23 countries. The vessel was later denied docking in Cabo Verde and is currently heading toward Tenerife in the Canary Islands as international health authorities continue investigations.
What makes Andes virus different?
Hantaviruses are typically spread through exposure to rodent urine, saliva, or droppings, often in poorly ventilated spaces where contaminated particles become airborne.
For decades, scientists believed human-to-human transmission was impossible. That changed with the discovery of the Andes virus in Argentina in 1995.
The Andes strain remains unique because it can spread between people through prolonged close contact, especially during the early stages of illness.
Health officials investigating the MV Hondius outbreak believe the virus likely spread among passengers after an initial infection occurred before or during the ship’s South American stops.
Despite concerns, experts stress that Andes virus does not spread easily like influenza or COVID-19. Transmission usually requires close and sustained exposure, and outbreaks historically remain limited in size.
Health workers in protective gear evacuate patients from the MV Hondius cruise ship at a port in Praia, Cape Verde.
Symptoms and severity
Hantavirus infection often begins with flu-like symptoms, including fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
In severe cases, the illness rapidly progresses into Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a life-threatening condition that causes fluid buildup in the lungs, breathing difficulties, shock, and organ failure.
The mortality rate for HPS in the Americas can reach 40 to 50 percent. WHO says symptoms typically appear between two and four weeks after exposure, although onset can vary. Because patients can deteriorate rapidly, early hospitalization and intensive care are critical.
No vaccine or specific cure
There is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral cure for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Treatment focuses on supportive care, including oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, careful fluid management, and intensive care monitoring. WHO advises that suspected cases be isolated quickly and transferred to hospitals capable of advanced respiratory treatment.
Although the antiviral drug ribavirin has shown some benefit against certain Asian hantavirus strains, it has not proven effective against the pulmonary form linked to Andes virus.
The long history of hantavirus
While the virus entered modern medicine relatively recently, historians believe hantavirus-related illnesses have existed for centuries.
Chinese medical records dating back to around 960 AD describe diseases involving fever and kidney failure consistent with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, a form of hantavirus infection common in Asia and Europe.
Modern scientific understanding began during the Korean War in the 1950s, when more than 3,000 United Nations soldiers developed a mysterious illness near the Hantan River. In 1978, South Korean scientist Ho Wang Lee successfully isolated the virus from field mice, leading to the naming of the Hantaan virus and the hantavirus family.
Hantavirus became widely known in 1993 during the “Four Corners” outbreak in the southwestern United States. A sudden cluster of fatal respiratory illnesses struck New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah, shocking health officials after healthy young adults died within hours of hospitalisation.
Researchers identified a new strain carried by deer mice called Sin Nombre virus, which caused Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. Unlike earlier hantaviruses that mainly attacked the kidneys, this strain targeted the lungs.
Two years later, scientists in Argentina identified the Andes virus, which later became the first hantavirus proven capable of human-to-human transmission.
That risk became undeniable during the 2018–2019 outbreak in Epuyén, Argentina, where 34 people were infected and 11 died. The outbreak required strict quarantine measures and extensive contact tracing, strategies now being repeated during the MV Hondius crisis.
Despite the seriousness of the outbreak, WHO and Africa CDC continue to assess the overall public risk as low.
The virus does not spread efficiently in casual settings, and outbreaks generally remain small and localised. Authorities have also rapidly implemented isolation measures and international contact tracing.
Health agencies are currently monitoring passengers who disembarked earlier in the voyage, healthcare workers involved in treatment, and travellers exposed during medical evacuation flights.
Preventing infection
Most hantavirus infections worldwide still originate from rodents rather than humans.
WHO advises people to avoid dry sweeping or vacuuming rodent-infested areas because these activities can aerosolise infectious particles. Instead, wet-cleaning methods and disinfectants should be used. Proper ventilation, safe food storage, and avoiding rodent nests also remain important preventive measures.
The MV Hondius outbreak serves as a reminder that even rare diseases can quickly become international concerns in an era of global travel. More than seventy years after hantavirus was first identified during the Korean War, the virus continues to challenge scientists, especially when it crosses the rare boundary from animals to humans.
MV Hondius off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 3, 2026.
Speaking at a press conference, Gomes said the three patients requiring urgent medical care are in stable condition, with no new cases reported among the remaining passengers and crew.
The evacuation will be carried out by specialized air ambulances, with one aircraft already in Cape Verde and another expected to assist. “The transfer will take place as soon as all safety conditions are in place,” she said, without specifying a timetable.
Gomes stressed that the risk to Cape Verde remains low, as no passengers have disembarked and there has been no contact with the country’s territory.
A sanitary corridor involving maritime and airport authorities has been established to ensure the safe evacuation of patients, medical staff, and the public.
The vessel may be cleared to resume its voyage once the evacuation is completed and sanitary conditions are verified, Gomes said, noting that the outbreak had been reported by international health bodies before the ship entered Cape Verdean waters.
Cape Verde’s National Director of Health Angela Gomes (C), briefs the press on arrangements for the medical evacuation of patients from the cruise ship MV Hondius during a press conference in Praia, Cape Verde, on May 5, 2026. Cape Verde will airlift three patients in the coming hours from the cruise ship MV Hondius, which remains anchored off the Port of Praia, National Director of Health Angela Gomes said Tuesday, following a deadly hantavirus outbreak on board. (Photo by Elton Monteiro/Xinhua)
The agency received reports of a hantavirus outbreak on the Hundius on May 2. Seven individuals of the 147 passengers and crew have been reported ill and three have died. The situation remains fluid, WHO’s chief of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention Maria Van Kerkhove told reporters in Geneva.
“One patient is in intensive care in South Africa, although we understand that this patient is improving,” she said, adding that two other patients, still on board the ship, are being prepared for medical evacuation to the Netherlands for treatment.
Van Kerkhove stressed that the situation is being closely monitored. As a precaution, passengers have been asked to remain in their cabins while disinfection and other public health measures are carried out.
“The plan is, and our highest priority is, to medically evacuate these two individuals” to make sure that they receive the required care, and there are no other symptomatic patients on board, she said.
The ship is set to continue on to the Canary Islands, Spain, and the WHO is working with the Spanish authorities “to do a full epidemiologic investigation, full disinfection of the ship,” she added.
Hantaviruses are carried by rodents and can cause severe disease in humans. Thousands of infections are estimated to occur each year. People usually get infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, their droppings, or their saliva.
As to the suspected origins of the virus, Van Kerkhove said that the initial patients — a husband and wife — boarded the ship in Argentina.
“With the timing of the incubation period of hantavirus, which can be anywhere from one to six weeks, our assumption is that they were infected off the ship,” she said.
“We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that’s happening among the really close contacts,” such as the husband and wife and others who have shared cabins, she noted.
According to the WHO, human-to-human transmission of infection hantavirus between people is uncommon, but limited spread has been reported among close contacts in previous outbreaks of the Andes virus, which is part of the hantavirus group.
There are no specific treatments for hantavirus other than supportive care. “Typically, people will develop respiratory symptoms, so respiratory support is really important,” Van Kerkhove said.
This file photo shows Maria van Kerkhove (R), who was technical lead for the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, speaking during a daily briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 5, 2020.
Researchers from Edith Cowan University found that positive experiences during travel can support the body’s ability to stay balanced and resilient, potentially improving both physical and mental well‑being. This discovery adds an exciting new perspective to how we think about tourism and health.
The idea behind this research comes from the concept of entropy, which refers to how systems naturally move toward disorder over time. In the context of the human body, aging is seen as a gradual move toward this disorder.
The researchers suggest that positive travel experiences may help the body resist that disorder, keeping internal systems more stable and functioning better than they might otherwise. However, they emphasize that travel doesn’t stop aging; it may simply help the body stay healthier as it ages.
One of the main reasons travel might be beneficial is because it places people in new environments and encourages movement and social connection. Being active whether walking through a new city, hiking in nature, or engaging in cultural activities could help the body’s metabolism and immune system stay strong.
At the same time, meeting new people and forming connections can support emotional health and reduce stress. All of these effects may contribute to a more resilient body and mind over time.
Researchers also point out that travel can act like a kind of “therapy” by stimulating the body’s natural defense systems.
New experiences can trigger positive changes in hormones and immune responses, which help the body repair itself and defend against external threats more effectively. This effect could support better health and help combat stress, which is linked to negative aging processes.
It’s important to note, though, that not all travel is equally beneficial. Travel that is stressful, unsafe, or poorly planned might actually have the opposite effect and contribute to health problems.
For example, exposure to unsafe food or environments, accidents, or high stress could increase strain on the body. The researchers stress that the key is positive, restorative, and active travel experiences that combine movement, relaxation, exploration, and social interaction.
While travel can’t stop aging, it may help the body stay healthier and more resilient as we grow older. These findings open up new possibilities for thinking about travel as a meaningful way to support health beyond just making memories.
As scientists continue to explore this connection, more research will help clarify exactly how travel influences aging and who benefits most.
In a statement to Xinhua, the WHO said it is supporting a public health event involving a cruise vessel sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases. Three of the six affected individuals have died, and one is currently in intensive care in South Africa.
The agency said detailed investigations are going on, including further laboratory testing and epidemiological investigations. Medical care and support are being provided to passengers and crew. Sequencing of the virus is also ongoing, it added.
Hantavirus infections are typically linked to environmental exposure (exposure to infected rodents’ urine or faeces). While rare, hantavirus may spread between people, and can lead to severe respiratory illness, requiring careful patient monitoring, support and response.
WHO is facilitating coordination between member states and the ship’s operators for the medical evacuation of two symptomatic passengers, as well as full public health risk assessment and support to the remaining passengers on board.
According to earlier reports, South Africa’s National Department of Health confirmed that two people have died from an acute respiratory infection on board a cruise ship known as MV Hondius in the Atlantic Ocean.
Previous reports said MV Hondius was sailing from Ushuaia in Argentina to Cape Verde when it experienced a “severe acute respiratory illness,” resulting in the deaths of an elderly couple and another person receiving treatment in an intensive care unit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
This aerial picture of the cruise ship MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 3, 2026. Photo: CFP
In a new study, researchers found that tightening your abdominal muscles, something as basic as bending, twisting, or walking, may trigger tiny pressure changes that set brain fluid in motion, helping to circulate cerebrospinal fluid throughout the brain.
This process could support brain health by enhancing the removal of substances that, if accumulated, might interfere with normal function.
The research, led by scientists at Penn State University, used experiments in mice and computer simulations to reveal how this effect works. They discovered a network of veins that mechanically links the abdominal cavity with the spinal cord and brain.
When the abdominal muscles contract, they press on these blood vessels, pushing blood toward the spinal cord and causing slight movement of the brain within the skull. That subtle motion helps cerebrospinal fluid flow across the brain, creating a “brain cleaning” mechanism previously unknown.
The team used high‑resolution imaging techniques, such as micro‑CT scanning, to visualize these connections and understand how movement affects fluid dynamics. Their simulations showed that the gentle brain motion generated by muscle tightening can drive the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, which is essential for removing metabolic waste and maintaining a healthy brain environment.
While the research is still in early stages and most of the findings come from animal studies, the implications are exciting: it provides a biological explanation for why regular movement and physical activity are linked to better brain health.
The findings suggest that even small amounts of movement throughout the day could help keep the brain’s fluid system functioning well, potentially reducing the risk of cognitive issues later in life.
According to the researchers, this discovery adds a new layer to our understanding of the mind‑body connection. Rather than being isolated from the rest of the body, the brain appears to benefit directly from simple physical forces generated during ordinary activities.
Future research will investigate how these mechanisms work in humans and whether specific types of movement could be recommended to support long‑term brain health.
Simple movements may help “clean” the brain by promoting fluid flow.
Scientists have made a major breakthrough in understanding how the immune system’s most powerful cells fight cancer, and for the first time, they’ve captured a detailed three‑dimensional look at the process inside real tumours.
Researchers from the University of Geneva and the Lausanne University Hospital used an advanced imaging technique called cryo‑expansion microscopy to observe how killer T cells, also known as cytotoxic T lymphocytes, attack and eliminate cancerous cells at the microscopic level.
This new view shows that these immune cells form an intricately organised contact zone with their targets, allowing them to destroy dangerous cells with incredible precision, while protecting nearby healthy tissue.
Until now, scientists could only see parts of this killing process because traditional imaging methods either lacked the resolution or distorted the cells’ natural structure. Cryo‑expansion microscopy changes that by freezing cells quickly to preserve their internal architecture and then physically expanding the sample so that tiny details can be seen more clearly than ever before.
Jens Rietdorf, a research engineer at the UNIGE Faculty of Science and co-author, explained why this has been so difficult to observe until now:
“The great challenge in science has always been observing these interactions without deforming delicate biological structures. Cryo-expansion microscopy allows for the physical enlargement of cells after an ultra-rapid freezing process, making the invisible visible.”
With this new technique, the researchers uncovered previously hidden features at the interface where the immune cell meets its target. They also observed how the toxic granules inside T cells, the “killers” that deliver the death blow to infected or cancerous cells, vary in structure and organisation.
Most importantly, the team was able to apply this method directly to tumour tissue samples, allowing them to watch the immune response in a realistic, clinical setting.
This new 3D insight into how killer T cells work could have meaningful implications for cancer research and treatment. By understanding the molecular choreography behind successful immune attacks, scientists can better explore how to improve immunotherapies or find ways to overcome immune resistance in stubborn tumours.
This discovery doesn’t just show us what killer T cells do; it shows how they do it, and that deeper understanding could be a powerful tool in the fight against cancer.
Breakthrough 3D imaging reveals how T cells destroy cancer cells.
