The ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control, RCSDC, has alerted member states after an outbreak of Andes virus, a deadly hantavirus strain, was confirmed aboard a Dutch-flagged cruise ship off Cape Verde.
The outbreak was first reported on May 2, 2026, by Cape Verde’s National Institute of Public Health. The vessel carried 147 passengers and crew from 23 nationalities. No ECOWAS nationals were on board.
As of May 8, eight cases had been identified — six confirmed and two probable — including three deaths, a case fatality rate of 37.5%. Two people died before the outbreak was reported, and a third patient was airlifted to South Africa in critical condition. Laboratory tests confirmed Andes virus infection on May 3.
Confirmed patients are receiving treatment in South Africa, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. One probable case remains in isolation on Tristan da Cunha.
Initial tests were conducted by South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases and verified by Institut Pasteur de Dakar. Further sequencing and serological analysis are ongoing.
Hantaviruses are zoonotic and spread mainly through contact with rodent urine, saliva, or feces. Human-to-human transmission is rare, though limited spread of Andes virus has been documented through prolonged close contact.
Symptoms start with fever, muscle pain, nausea, and vomiting, and can rapidly progress to acute respiratory distress, pneumonia, and shock. Fatality rates can reach 50% in severe cases. There is no approved vaccine or specific treatment, but early diagnosis and supportive care improve survival.
The World Health Organization assessed the risk as moderate for passengers and crew on the vessel, but low globally.
The ship left Cape Verdean waters on May 6 for the Canary Islands, where passengers are expected to disembark.
Despite low risk to West Africa, RCSDC urged member states to strengthen surveillance at entry points, laboratory diagnostic capacity, infection prevention, and risk communication.
The West African Health Organization is coordinating the regional response and will provide updates as the situation evolves.
