Amman, May 12 (Petra) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that the number of confirmed Hantavirus cases has risen to 11, including three deaths, following a report from the Spanish Ministry of Health regarding a passenger evacuated from a cruise ship.

The WHO confirmed in a statement on "X" that all 11 cases including the fatalities occurred among the passengers and crew of the cruise ship *MV Hondius*, which has been identified as the center of the outbreak.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that while current assessments do not indicate a broader outbreak, new cases could still emerge due to the virus's long incubation period.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S?nchez following the evacuation of the vessel, Ghebreyesus clarified that 9 of the 11 confirmed cases involve the "Andes" strain of the virus.

The WHO has advised all travelers from the ship to self-isolate for 45 days. However, reports indicate that some countries do not currently intend to mandate such quarantine measures.

//Petra// AF

12/05/2026 21:32:33