Hantavirus Cruise Ship MV Hondius Arrives in Tenerife; 150 Evacuated, 3 Dead
The MV Hondius, a cruise ship with a deadly hantavirus outbreak, arrived in Tenerife for the evacuation of nearly 150 people. Three passengers have died from the Andes strain, which transmits person-to-person. All on board are considered high-risk contacts, but authorities assure low public risk as evacuations proceed offshore.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, has reached Granadilla, Tenerife, where nearly 150 people will be evacuated and flown home. Three passengers—a Dutch couple and a German woman—have died, and others fell ill with the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, which can transmit person-to-person.
Passengers and a limited number of crew began disembarking from 8 AM, transferring directly to allocated aircraft. Two Irish passengers, currently well, will quarantine in an HSE facility upon arrival in Ireland. The WHO classified all on board as high-risk contacts, but assured the risk to the general public in the Canaries remains low. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus oversaw the evacuation, emphasizing, «This is not another Covid.»
Spanish authorities refused to allow the vessel to dock; it will remain offshore while passengers are screened and evacuated between today and Monday due to weather. Six confirmed cases out of eight suspected were reported by the WHO, with no remaining suspected cases on board. A special command post and maritime exclusion zone are in place. The MV Hondius sailed from Cape Verde, where three infected individuals were evacuated earlier. The outbreak began after the ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for a cruise to Cape Verde. Health officials are tracking disembarked passengers and contacts globally; a KLM flight attendant tested negative, while a woman in eastern Spain is being tested after developing symptoms.