The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in an update on Wednesday, May 6, that Swiss authorities confirmed a case of hantavirus in a passenger from the cruise ship.

The case was found after a man, who was not identified, responded to an email from the ship's operator informing the passengers of the outbreak, according to the WHO. He went to the hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, where doctors identified the virus, and he is receiving care, the international agency said. The WHO said it is working with relevant international authorities to identify people who may have been exposed to the virus and to prevent further spread of the disease.

This photograph taken in Zurich on May 6, 2026 shows the entrance of the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) where a former passenger on a cruise ship stricken by a deadly hantavirus outbreak is being treated

As of May 6, there are 8 suspected cases linked to the vessel, 3 of which were confirmed as hantavirus by laboratory testing, according to the WHO.In a separate post on X, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that three people who are suspected of having hantavirus have been evacuated from the cruise ship and are on their way to receive medical care in Switzerland