Suspected Hantavirus Cases Reported on Tristan da Cunha, Spain Amid Cruise Ship Outbreak

Health authorities in Spain and on the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha are investigating suspected hantavirus cases linked to passengers from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, where eight people have fallen ill and three have died. The new cases involve a man in Spain who fell ill after leaving the ship and a woman on Tristan da Cunha who became symptomatic after sitting near an infected passenger on a flight.

Four of the original patients remain hospitalized in South Africa, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, while the MV Hondius is en route to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, where it is expected to dock early Sunday. Passengers and crew will undergo health screenings before disembarkation under guidelines being finalized by the World Health Organization and national health agencies.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia, and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska are traveling to Tristan da Cunha to coordinate the response. Tedros stressed the current public health risk remains low and urged against panic, stating, "This is not another Covid."

The WHO and local authorities will finalize screening protocols over the weekend, and the ship's controlled disembarkation is expected to begin shortly after docking. The agency will provide an updated risk assessment following passenger evaluations.