Singapore Isolates Two Citizens in Connection with Hantavirus

Singapore has isolated and tested two of its citizens who were on a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak. This was announced by the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA). Quoting Reuters on Friday (8/5/2026), countries around the world are now tracking passengers on the affected ship to prevent further spread of the hantavirus. Three people—a Dutch couple and a German citizen—died in the outbreak on the MV Hondius. Meanwhile, eight others are believed to have been infected with the virus. Hantavirus generally spreads through rodents. However, in rare cases, the virus can also transmit from human to human. The two Singaporeans being examined are men aged 67 and 65. Both are now isolated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. They were on the MV Hondius when the ship departed from Ushuaia port in Argentina on 1 April, said the CDA in its statement. “One has a cold but is in good condition, while the other shows no symptoms. The risk to the general public in Singapore is currently low,” stated the CDA. If the test results are negative for hantavirus, the two men will undergo quarantine for 30 days from the date of last exposure. However, if the results are positive, they will remain in hospital for monitoring and treatment. Both are known to have disembarked the ship and were on the same flight as one confirmed hantavirus case from St Helena to Johannesburg on 25 April. The confirmed patient did not travel to Singapore and has died in South Africa.