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First modification: 05/06/2026 - 17:43

A luxury cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean sparked health alerts after the death of three passengers from hantavirus during a voyage between Argentina and Cape Verde. The intervention of the World Health Organization reopens the debate on the real scope of the outbreak and a key question: is it an isolated case or is there a risk of spread? We analyzed it in El Debate on France 24.

The outbreak, detected in a closed environment such as a ship, has revived the debate about the capacity to respond to infectious diseases in spaces with a high concentration of people.

While investigations continue to determine the origin of the contagion, comparisons with other recent health crises and doubts about prevention protocols also arise.

Read also Hantavirus outbreak: the cruise ship will arrive in Spain "in three days" after evacuating infected people in Cape Verde

Epidemiologist Eric Delgado in an interview for France 24 warns that this type of virus is not new and has already caused thousands of cases in the world. In his opinion, “the key is to accurately identify the chains of transmission to contain possible outbreaks, especially in closed spaces or in regions with a history.”

Although it considers that an epidemic can be avoided with appropriate measures, it warns about the high lethality of the virus in some cases, which requires international surveillance and coordination.

For his part, tropical doctor Alfonso Rodríguez explains that hantavirus is “a zoonosis, transmitted mainly by contact with rodent secretions.” He details that it is not a single virus, but rather a group that can cause different diseases depending on the region.

In Latin America, he highlights: "the Andes virus, for example, has the peculiarity of being able to be transmitted between people, which increases the level of alert in situations such as that of a cruise ship."

During The Debate, specialists agree on the importance of maintaining strict health protocols while controlling the situation and clarifying the origin of the outbreak.

They also emphasize that the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic left key lessons for the response to this type of emergency, from epidemiological surveillance to hygiene measures. The call from experts is clear: do not lower your guard against infectious diseases that, although known, continue to represent a risk to humanity.

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