The vessel is currently docked in Cape Verde.
Initial symptoms of the illness include fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, but it can progress to severe respiratory conditions and potentially be fatal.
“We are conducting detailed investigations, which include further laboratory testing and epidemiological studies. Passengers and crew are receiving medical care and support,” stated the WHO in an announcement on X.
The organization also mentioned that it is coordinating efforts to evacuate two passengers showing symptoms from the ship while assisting those who remain aboard.
The first casualty was a 70-year-old man who passed away on the ship; his body was removed while the vessel was at Saint Helena, a British territory in the South Atlantic, according to South Africa’s Department of Health. His wife collapsed at a South African airport while attempting to fly back to the Netherlands and later died in a nearby hospital.
The department confirmed that a patient in intensive care at a Johannesburg hospital is a British national.
The department identified the patient in intensive care in a hospital in Johannesburg as a British national.
It said that person fell ill near Ascension Island, another remote island in the Atlantic, after the ship left Saint Helena and was transferred from there to South Africa.
Around 150 tourists were onboard the ship at the time of the outbreak, South Africa’s health department said. Several online tour operators said the Hondius, which is described as a specialist polar cruise ship, usually travels with around 70 crew members.
South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, meanwhile, was conducting contact tracing in the Johannesburg region to identify if other people were exposed to the infected passengers in South Africa.
MV Hondius is operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, a Dutch travel company that offers cruise packages that explore the Arctic and Antarctic regions of the world.
Hantavirus are a group of viruses that can impact people, though there have been no human cases recorded in Australia.
The virus is found all over the world, including in Asia, Europe and the USA.
It gained attention last year  after the late actor Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus infection.
Hackman died around a week later at their home from heart disease.
The virus can cause a severe and sometimes deadly lung infection called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
There is no specific treatment or cure for hantavirus infections, but early medical attention can increase the chance of survival.
Reported with Associated Press.
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.
