Hantavirus strain 'can be passed between humans' - health officials
5/6/202649 min
The World Health Organisation has confirmed that the strain of hantavirus that's killed three people on board a cruise ship from Argentina can be passed between humans.
The ship, currently off Cape Verde, is sailing to the Canary Islands after Spain gave it permission to dock. We'll speak to someone who was on board when the outbreak began.
Also in the programme: We'll have a special report into what happened when Israeli unleashed a barrage of airstrikes on Lebanon last month; and hard rock and existential angst from the lead singer of Iron Maiden.
(Photo shows the cruise ship MV Hondius docked off Cape Verde port on 4 May 2026. Credit: Reuters)
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First 90 secondsJames Menendez· Host0:00
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James Menendez· Host1:03
[news theme music] Hello, and welcome to News Hour from the BBC World Service. We're coming to you live from London. I'm James Menendez, and we're going to begin today with the fate of those on board the Dutch cruise ship that's been hit by an outbreak of a deadly virus. The World Health Organization is saying that at this stage, the risk of a wider outbreak is low.