What is the Andes virus? Hantavirus linked to a cruise ship is the most deadly strain

The strain of hantavirus that has killed three people and sickened five others on a cruise ship is the Andes strain, which is typically found in South America.

The strain of hantavirus that has killed three people and sickened five others on a cruise ship is the Andes strain, which is typically found in South America including parts of Argentina, where the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius departed.

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This strain, which can cause the most severe illness, is the only type that’s known to spread from person to person. As of Wednesday, there were eight cases; three have been confirmed as hantavirus by laboratory testing. Three people, a married couple who were Dutch nationals and another woman, have died. Another person is in intensive care in South Africa.

Dr. Abraar Karan, an infectious disease physician at Stanford Medicine, said the death of the woman, 69, who was on a plane just 24 hours prior to her death on April 26, “tells you how rapidly this disease can progress.”