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HealthCape Verde

Hantavirus outbreak at sea: Who is legally obliged to help?

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Tomi Oladipo
May 5, 2026

More than a hundred people are stranded on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean after a suspected hantavirus outbreak. A global health law expert speaks to DW about who's obliged to provide help.

The case brings back memories of the COVID‑19 pandemic, when travelers were stranded on cruise ships amid fears they could spread the virus. Updated international health regulations were intended to preventsimilar situations from happening again.

Tomi Oladipo Tomi Oladipo is a British-born Nigerian journalist based in Berlin.
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