A cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has arrived in Spain's Canary Islands, where most of the nearly 150 people on board will be evacuated and flown home after weeks at sea. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius reached the Spanish port of Granadilla on Sunday, escorted by a Civil Guard vessel, as confirmed by AFP journalists and maritime tracking service VesselFinder.
Passengers and some crew members are expected to disembark before the ship, which has been linked to three deaths from hantavirus, continues its journey to the Netherlands. The deceased include a Dutch husband and wife and a German woman, while others have fallen ill with the rare disease, typically spread by rodents.
Andes Virus Confirmed
The only hantavirus type capable of human-to-human transmission—the Andes virus—has been confirmed among those who tested positive, raising international concerns. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's epidemic and pandemic preparedness director, stated on Saturday that everyone on board is considered a high-risk contact. However, she emphasized that the risk to the general public and Canary Islands residents remains low.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who arrived in Spain on Saturday and is overseeing the evacuation, reassured the public, writing in an open letter: "This is not another Covid." He expressed confidence in Spain's preparedness.
Evacuation Underway
At the port of Granadilla de Abona, white tents were set up along the quay, and police secured part of the area. Despite the operation, daily life appeared normal, with locals swimming, shopping, and dining at cafes. Regional authorities have refused to let the vessel dock; instead, it will remain offshore while passengers are screened and evacuated between Sunday and Monday, weather permitting.
Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said all guests and a limited number of crew would begin leaving the ship from around 0700 GMT. "Once disembarked, they will be transferred immediately to their allocated aircraft," the firm stated.
The WHO confirmed six cases out of eight suspected ones, with no remaining suspected cases on the ship. The MV Hondius had sailed from Cape Verde, where three infected individuals were evacuated earlier in the week.
Strict Precautions
Spanish health and interior ministers insisted there would be "no contact" with the local population, and passengers would leave by nationality groups. All areas passengers pass through will be sealed off, and a maritime exclusion zone is in force around the vessel.
The MV Hondius departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for a transatlantic cruise to Cape Verde. Provincial health official Juan Petrina said there was an "almost zero chance" the Dutch man linked to the outbreak contracted the disease in Ushuaia, based on the virus's incubation period.
Contact Tracing
Health authorities in several countries are tracking passengers who disembarked earlier and their contacts. A KLM flight attendant who had contact with an infected passenger and showed mild symptoms tested negative for hantavirus, the WHO reported. The passenger—the wife of the first victim—was removed from a Johannesburg-bound flight on April 25 and died the next day in a Johannesburg hospital.
Spanish authorities are testing a woman from that flight who developed symptoms at home in eastern Spain; she is isolated in hospital. Two Singapore residents who were on the ship tested negative but remain in quarantine. British health authorities also reported a suspected case on Tristan da Cunha, one of the world's most isolated settlements.
