Evacuation Underway for Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship in Canary Islands

Evacuation operations began Sunday for passengers and crew aboard the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak that has killed three people—a Dutch couple and a German woman—and infected several others off the coast of Spain's Canary Islands. Nearly 150 people are being repatriated via coordinated flights from Tenerife, following a WHO confirmation of six cases of the Andes virus, a rare human-transmissible strain, with no suspected cases remaining on board.

Passengers, all asymptomatic and wearing protective gear, disembarked via small boats to Granadilla port, were transported by sealed military buses, and underwent final medical checks before boarding repatriation flights. The first flight carried 14 Spaniards to Madrid for quarantine, followed by separate flights for nationals from the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Turkey, France, Britain, Ireland, and the U.S. Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia confirmed the ship will proceed to the Netherlands after evacuations conclude.

The World Health Organization and Spanish authorities emphasized the global public health risk remains low, noting the outbreak likely originated before the ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina, in April. Argentine health officials stated the Dutch man linked to the initial case likely did not contract the virus in Argentina due to the incubation period. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez affirmed the operation is being managed with scientific rigor and international coordination.

The evacuation was fast-tracked due to an approaching storm, with regional authorities warning the ship must leave anchorage by Monday. The Canary Islands government had previously resisted docking the vessel, allowing only offshore anchoring. Pope Leo XIV acknowledged the region's cooperation during a Vatican address.

Final evacuations will conclude Monday with a flight to Australia, after which the MV Hondius will sail to the Netherlands for further investigation and decontamination. The WHO will continue monitoring case developments in receiving countries.