08 May,2026 11:57 AM IST | Washington | mid-day online correspondent
Donald Trump speaks to reporters during an unannounced visit to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. Pic/AFP
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said a deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship appeared to be under control, adding that the administration would soon release a detailed report on the situation.
Speaking to reporters during an unannounced visit to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC, Trump said officials and medical experts were closely monitoring the outbreak.
"It's very much, we hope, under control," Trump said. "It was the ship, and I think we're going to make a full report about it tomorrow."
The US President said a large team of specialists was examining the incident and assessing the risk posed by the virus.
"We have a lot of people. A lot of great people are studying it. It should be fine," he said.
Trump also assured reporters that the administration would disclose further information soon.
"You're going to be told everything," he added.
When asked whether Americans should be worried about the hantavirus spreading further, Trump said he hoped the outbreak would remain contained.
"I hope not," he said, adding that authorities were "doing the best we can."
No additional details about the scale of the outbreak, the number of infections, or the condition of affected passengers were immediately provided.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed five instances of hantavirus linked to fatalities on a cruise vessel currently navigating the Atlantic Ocean.
In addition to the confirmed cases, three further individuals are suspected of carrying the Andes strain of the virus. Despite the severity of the situation, the global health body maintains that while more infections could emerge, the broader risk to public health remains minimal.
Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed that the United Kingdom had alerted the agency to a cluster of passengers suffering from acute respiratory distress aboard the Dutch-flagged ship, the Hondius. The vessel is currently en route from Cape Verde to Tenerife, Spain.
"While this is a serious incident, WHO assesses the public health risk as low," Ghebreyesus informed journalists. He detailed the current toll, noting that eight cases have surfaced to date, "including three dead, five confirmed, and three suspected."
Hantavirus is typically transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected rodents or their waste. However, the Andes strain identified in this outbreak is unique for its ability to spread between humans, a phenomenon previously restricted to close or prolonged contact between family members or medical staff.
The timeline of the outbreak traces back to a male passenger who first showed symptoms on April 6 and passed away five days later. The WHO chief explained that the initial death went unattributed to hantavirus as no samples were collected and the symptoms mirrored other viral infections. The man's wife became the second fatality after falling ill and dying on April 25 in Saint Helena. A third woman succumbed to the virus on May 2, a week after her symptoms first appeared.
(With inputs from Agencies)
