Health authorities in South Africa have identified the Andean strain of hantavirus—which can be transmitted from person to person—in two individuals aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, where an outbreak of the disease has occurred, the country’s health minister said in a presentation to parliament.

The cruise ship is expected to depart from offshore Cape Verde, in West Africa, where it is currently located, heading for the Canary Islands, after the Spanish government granted it permission to dock at the port of Tenerife.

The minister’s presentation, seen by Reuters, states that tests conducted by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of South Africa (NICD) confirmed that a Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg had been infected with the Andean strain, as had a British man who is still hospitalized. Both fell ill while aboard the cruise ship.

“This is the only strain known to be transmissible from human to human, but such transmission is very rare and, as stated earlier, occurs only in cases of very close contact,” the presentation emphasized.

Other strains of hantavirus are usually transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents or their urine, feces, or saliva.

Three passengers from the cruise ship, which departed Argentina in March, have died, while around 149 people from 23 countries remain on board.

According to the World Health Organization, seven hantavirus cases have been recorded on the MV Hondius, of which two are laboratory-confirmed and five are suspected.

Regional government of the Canary Islands opposes docking of MV Hondius

The regional government of the Canary Islands has expressed its opposition to the arrival of the cruise ship affected by the hantavirus outbreak, with its president Fernando Clavijo stating that there are insufficient guarantees for public safety.

Fernando Clavijo said on Wednesday in an interview with radio station COPE that the decision to allow the cruise ship to dock is not based on adequate technical criteria and that local authorities have not received sufficient information to reassure the public.

“This decision is not based on any technical criteria, nor is there sufficient information to reassure the public or guarantee their safety,” he said.

He added that he has requested an urgent meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to discuss the issue. Clavijo is a member of the conservative Popular Party, the main opposition force to Sánchez’s Socialists.

Earlier the same day, Spanish state television TVE reported that the cruise ship was expected to dock in Tenerife, citing sources from the Spanish Ministry of Health. So far, however, the ministry has not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.