Three people have died after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the World Health Organization (WHO) has told the BBC.

One case has been confirmed, with five suspected cases under investigation, it said. One British national aged 69 is in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Hantavirus is usually passed to humans from rodents via their urine or faeces. It can cause severe respiratory illness. Rarely, it can be transmitted between people.