New Delhi, May 7 -- A luxury cruise ship, MV Hondius, has been at the centre of an international health scare since Saturday, 3 May, when the UN's health agency was informed that three passengers had died and the suspected cause was hantavirus.

The outbreak of the rare rodent-borne illness called hantavirus aboard the cruise ship left three passengers dead and sickened others. This outbreak may have come from Argentina, the Associated Press reported.

1. The WHO confirmed that as of May 6, there are eight cases, three of whom are confirmed as hantavirus by laboratory testing.

"Since 1 April, when the boat set sail, of the 147 passengers and crew, 7 people have become ill, among whom 3 have died, 1 is critically ill and 3 are reporting m...