Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship Passengers Evacuated in Tenerife Amid International Response

Passengers from the MV Hondius started disembarking in Tenerife, Spain, on Sunday following a hantavirus outbreak that killed three people and infected at least five others during a voyage from Cape Verde. The Dutch-flagged cruise ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, arrived in the Canary Islands after sailing from West Africa on May 6, with no active symptoms detected among those still onboard at the time of evacuation.

Spanish health authorities, the World Health Organization (WHO), and international partners coordinated the evacuation, with passengers ferried ashore in small groups for immediate medical screening. Spanish nationals were prioritized, and all evacuees were scheduled for repatriation flights arranged by their respective governments. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Tenerife to oversee the response alongside Spanish officials.

The Andes strain of hantavirus, capable of rare human-to-human transmission, is believed to have spread through close contact onboard. Health authorities confirmed that the index case was a passenger who had traveled extensively in South America before boarding on April 1 and later died during the voyage. Contact tracing, genomic sequencing, and epidemiological investigations are ongoing.

Several countries, including the U.S., U.K., Netherlands, France, Norway, and Australia, activated evacuation and quarantine plans for their citizens. U.S. evacuees will be quarantined in Nebraska, British nationals will undergo hospital observation, and French citizens will face 45 days of home quarantine after 72 hours of medical monitoring. Norway deployed a specialized ambulance aircraft for high-risk infectious cases.

Crew members and the body of a deceased passenger will remain aboard as the ship sails to Rotterdam for disinfection. Passengers were instructed to leave most belongings behind. The court will resume hearing on Tuesday.