Two new reported cases of hantavirus were confirmed on Friday.
One case was found in Spain and the other was discovered along the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha.
This comes as Spanish health authorities reported that a woman in the southeastern Spanish province of Alicante showed symptoms which were consistent with a hantavirus infection and is currently being tested.
Officials have also said that some of the cases on the ship were caused by the Andes strain of hantavirus, which is the only version which can spread between people, usually through prolonged and close contact with person who is showing symptoms.
The WHO have said that three people, a Dutch couple and a German national have died following the outbreak of this hantavirus. Four other people were infected, two British, one Dutch and a Swiss national, who are being treated in hospitals in the Netherlands, South Africa and Switzerland.
A fifth case is also suspected, according to the World Health Organisation.
Secretary of State of Health, Javier Padilla had explained that the woman was sitting on a plane behind a Dutch woman who had contracted the virus while on the MV Hondius.
The Dutch woman who had left the flight in Johannesburg had taken ill before it took off and died in hospital on April 25.
A British man was also suspected of contracting the virus on Tristan da Cunha, according to the Health Secretary agency. It was reported that he had been a passenger along the Dutch flagged ship which had stopped along the island between April 13 and 15.
Three people were confirmed dead from this virus, but the World Health Organisation has insisted that the risk to the wider public is low as the virus does not transmit through humans easily.
Speaking about this, WHO technical officer for viral threats had said this in an online briefing: "Based on the dynamics of this outbreak, based on how it is spreading and not spreading amongst the people on the ship, the people who have disembarked, as well, we continue to consider the risk as low for the general population".
Speaking on Friday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said that the two Irish passengers on board this ship are "safe and well".
"In terms of the two Irish passengers, I am pleased to say that they are safe and well", she said while speaking in County Armagh.
Ms McEntee has said that she has been “engaging directly with them” and also with the Health Service Executive (HSE) to see what measures “would need to be taken when they do get home”.
She added: “But obviously the priority is to make sure that they can get home as quickly as possible, and we’re working with them and engaging with them", before going on to say it is a “very difficult situation” for the families of those who have died “and for all of those on board”.
While there is not set period for quarantine in Ireland, the HSE said that self isolation will take place “for a period”, with passengers being actively monitored. They said that decisions on where passengers will quarantine will be made on a case by case basis.
