ECOWAS raises alarm over hantavirus outbreak as death toll rises

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has confirmed that health authorities are closely monitoring an outbreak of hantavirus disease linked to a Dutch-flagged cruise ship off the coast of Cabo Verde, after eight infections and three deaths were recorded among passengers and crew.

In a briefing note issued by the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control (RCSDC), the regional body disclosed that it was first alerted to the incident on May 2, 2026, by Cabo Verde’s National Institute of Public Health following reports of severe respiratory illnesses on board the vessel.

According to the report, the cruise ship carried 147 people from 23 different nationalities, although no citizens of ECOWAS member states were on board.

By the time the alert was raised, two people had already died, while a third patient had been airlifted to South Africa in critical condition.

Authorities said laboratory testing later confirmed hantavirus infection in the evacuated patient.

“A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test conducted on May 3 returned positive for the virus”, the statement said.

The RCSDC stated that symptoms among affected passengers were first noticed between April 6 and April 28, with patients presenting fever, gastrointestinal complications, rapidly progressing pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and shock.

“As of May 8, eight cases, six confirmed and two probable, have been identified, including three deaths,” the statement noted, putting the current case fatality rate at 37.5 percent.

Health officials further revealed that all six confirmed infections were caused by the Andes virus (ANDV), a strain of hantavirus commonly associated with South America and known to trigger hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome.

Four of the surviving confirmed cases are currently receiving treatment in hospitals across South Africa, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, while another probable case remains isolated in stable condition on the British island territory of Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic Ocean.

According to the report, initial laboratory confirmation was carried out by South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases before additional verification by the Institut Pasteur de Dakar. Further scientific investigations, including genomic sequencing, serology, and metagenomic analysis, are ongoing.

ECOWAS explained that hantaviruses are zoonotic diseases transmitted mainly through exposure to urine, saliva, or droppings of infected rodents.

“Although human-to-human transmission is considered rare, the Andes virus has previously shown limited capability for spread through prolonged close contact”, it added.

Medical experts said the disease often begins with symptoms such as headache, dizziness, chills, muscle pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain before advancing to severe respiratory failure and dangerously low blood pressure in critical cases.

The regional health body warned that infections linked to the Andes virus can have fatality rates of up to 50 percent in severe outbreaks across the Americas.

“There is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for hantavirus infections,” the RCSDC stated, adding that early diagnosis, isolation, and intensive medical care significantly improve survival chances.

The World Health Organization has assessed the risk posed by the outbreak as moderate for passengers and crew aboard the ship but low at the global level.

Authorities disclosed that the cruise ship departed Cabo Verde waters on May 6 en route to the Canary Islands in Spain, where passengers are expected to disembark.

Despite the absence of ECOWAS nationals among those affected, the regional health agency urged member states to strengthen preparedness measures against potential importation of cases.

The RCSDC advised member countries to intensify training for healthcare workers on detection, isolation, infection prevention, and case management of Orthohantavirus infections.

It also called for stronger disease surveillance systems, particularly at points of entry, enhanced laboratory diagnostic capacity, and improved public risk communication to ensure timely dissemination of accurate information.

The regional body said it would continue to closely monitor the evolving epidemiological situation in collaboration with international health partners and provide updates as necessary.