India, May 4 -- A health emergency aboard the MV Hondius has caused panic after multiple passengers developed a severe respiratory illness during a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday said that at least three people have died following a suspected hantavirus outbreak. The ship had been sailing from Ushuaia toward Cape Verde.

The WHO confirmed that one patient tested positive for hantavirus, while several additional infections remain under investigation. "To date, one case of hantavirus infection has been laboratory confirmed, and there are five additional suspected cases," the international health organization told AFP.

"Of the six affected individuals, three have died and one is currently in ...