Seven cases hantavirus has been confirmed on board a cruise ship currently anchored off the coast of Cape Verde.
Two Irish people are among 149 people on MV Hondius.
The ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said strict precautionary measures are in place on board the vessel, including isolation measures and hygiene protocols.
Here's a brief timeline of events:
11 April: A passenger died on board MV Hondius. The cause of death could not be determined.
24 April: The passenger's body was removed to St Helena, accompanied by his wife.
27 April: Oceanwide Expeditions was informed that the man's wife had become unwell during that journey and had later died. Both passengers were Dutch nationals. At this time, it was not confirmed that the deaths were connected to the current medical situation on board.
27 April: Another passenger became seriously unwell and was medically evacuated to South Africa. This passenger, of British nationality, is being treated in an intensive care unit and is in a critical but stable condition. A variant of hantavirus was identified in this patient.
2 May: A German passenger died on board MV Hondius.
4 May: The World Health Organization confirmed that seven cases of hantavirus have been identified.
It said that seven cases (two laboratory confirmed cases of hantavirus and five suspected cases) have been identified, including three deaths, one critically ill patient and three individuals reporting mild symptoms.
There are two crew members on board with acute respiratory symptoms - one mild and one
severe, with both needing urgent medical care.
MV Honduras remained off the coast of Cape Verde with 149 people, including the two Irish people, on board.
Cape Verde's health ministry said "national health authorities decided not to authorise the ship's docking at the Port of Praia".
5 May: The WHO said there may have been human-to-human transmission between close contacts on board the ship, and that there was a suspicion the person who first fell ill was infected before boarding.
It said the Hondius would now head for the Canary Islands, but Spain said "no decision" had been taken yet on whether to accept the ship.
