The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has issued an advisory to Member States and the public following a confirmed cluster of hantavirus cases aboard a cruise ship in the Central Atlantic Ocean — while stressing that the risk to the Caribbean region remains low.

The alert comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) was formally notified on 2nd May 2026 by the United Kingdom’s International Health Regulations Focal Point of a respiratory illness cluster affecting both passengers and crew aboard the vessel.

Laboratory testing confirmed hantavirus in at least one critically ill patient aboard the ship. As of 6th May 2026, the WHO had recorded a total of eight cases — three confirmed and five suspected — along with three deaths.