India, May 5 -- Three deaths on an Atlantic cruise ship have drawn global attention to hantavirus, a rare but often severe disease spread mainly by rodent urine and droppings.

The virus can trigger lethal lung or kidney syndromes, with fatality rates up to 38 percent in some forms.

Officials are investigating how it reached the ship and monitoring passengers for symptoms.

Three people have died after a suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. At least one other passenger is in intensive care in South Africa.

The World Health Organization announced the deaths in a social media statement on Monday, along with one confirmed case of the rare disease. Authorities are investigating another five ...