Hantavirus infection confirmed on Faroe Islands ferry Norrøna

A Danish passenger aboard the ferry Norrøna has been diagnosed with hantavirus after falling severely ill en route to the Faroe Islands, Faroese broadcaster Kringvarp Føroya reports.

The man, identified as Jakob Larsen, was travelling to the Faroes on 19 April when he suddenly became unwell. His condition deteriorated rapidly, prompting his admission to the Faroese National Hospital before being airlifted to Odense University Hospital in Denmark. Medical staff there confirmed the infection as the Puumala strain of hantavirus.

The case marks a rare occurrence of the rodent-borne virus in the region. Hantavirus infections in humans typically result from exposure to contaminated dust from the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents.