Cruise ship hantavirus strain can spread among humans, says South Africa

Andes strain the cause of infection in two cases, says South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases

• Europe live – latest updates

• What is hantavirus?

A luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak and marooned for days off the coast of Cape Verde with close to 150 people onboard was due to head to Spain, while South Africa confirmed it had identified among the victims a strain of the virus that can – in rare cases – spread among humans.

The Swiss government said a man who returned to Switzerland after being a passenger on the MV Hondius was infected with the hantavirus and was being treated in Zurich. It said there was no danger to the broader population.