An unprecedented outbreak of hantavirus has rocked a luxury cruise ship off the coast of West Africa, triggering news stories and a wave of post-pandemic anxiety.

As of now, eight cases have been reported, with three fatalities. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, which departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1st on a voyage to Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, is currently carrying 147 passengers and crew. Health authorities are urging those still aboard to remain in their cabins.

With experts assembled by the World Health Organization racing to devise a safe disembarkation plan, authorities have identified 30 former passengers who need to be tracked down—those who disembarked on St. Helena nearly two weeks ago. The situation is being handled with urgency but officials insist that the risk outside of the ship is ‘extremely low’.

The episode echoes the early days of the pandemic, reminding us that no matter how advanced our world becomes, nature can still pose unexpected challenges. However, experts are quick to reassure that this is a contained emergency and not a global threat. For now, we wait and hope for sunshine on both sides of the Atlantic.