A cruise ship affected by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands, where authorities are preparing a carefully monitored evacuation of nearly 150 passengers and crew after weeks at sea.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius arrived at the industrial port of Granadilla in Tenerife on Sunday under security escort, following international concern over an outbreak linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus — the only known variant capable of limited person-to-person transmission.
According to health officials, three passengers — a Dutch couple and a German woman — have died during the voyage, while several others tested positive for the virus.
The World Health Organization confirmed that six cases had been verified out of eight suspected infections, while authorities stressed that there are currently no remaining suspected cases on board.
WHO officials described everyone aboard the vessel as “high-risk contacts,” but reassured the public that the overall threat to residents of Tenerife and the Canary Islands remains low.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who travelled to Spain ahead of the operation, urged residents not to panic, insisting that the situation is not comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spanish authorities have implemented strict containment measures, including offshore evacuation procedures, police-secured zones, and direct transfer of passengers to waiting aircraft for immediate repatriation to their home countries.
Despite the heightened precautions at the port, daily activities across Tenerife continued normally, with residents and businesses carrying on without major disruption.
The MV Hondius had been sailing from Cape Verde, where some infected passengers were earlier evacuated before the vessel continued toward Spain.
