Passengers Begin Disembarking from Hantavirus-Affected Cruise Ship in Canary Islands

Passengers from the MV Hondius began disembarking in Tenerife, Canary Islands, on Sunday, following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship. The vessel, which departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, had been anchored off Tenerife since early morning.

Spanish authorities, the World Health Organization (WHO), and Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that none of the more than 140 individuals on board are currently exhibiting symptoms of the virus. The disembarkation process prioritizes Spanish nationals, who are being transported to shore in small launch boats carrying between five and ten people.

The MV Hondius left Cape Verde on May 6, arriving in Tenerife on May 10. The outbreak has resulted in three fatalities and five confirmed infections among passengers who had previously disembarked. All individuals leaving the ship are undergoing health screenings and are being evacuated only when flights to their respective destinations are ready. Spanish Health Minister Mónica García stated, "The entire operation is proceeding normally."

Evacuation flights are scheduled to be completed between Sunday and Monday, accommodating passengers from over 20 nationalities. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, along with Spain's health and interior ministers, are overseeing the operation in Tenerife. Authorities have emphasized that disembarking passengers and crew will have no contact with the local population.

Hantavirus typically spreads through inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between humans. However, the Andes virus strain identified in this outbreak may, in rare cases, spread between people. Symptoms usually appear between one and eight weeks after exposure.

Disembarking individuals are permitted to carry only essential items, including a small bag, cellphone, charger, and necessary documentation. Some crew members, along with the body of a deceased passenger, will remain on board as the ship sails to Rotterdam, Netherlands, for disinfection—a journey expected to take approximately five days.

Spanish nationals will be transferred to a medical facility for quarantine upon disembarkation. Oceanwide Expeditions reports 13 Spanish passengers and one Spanish crew member on board. The United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands have arranged evacuation flights for their citizens, with Americans set to quarantine at a medical center in Nebraska.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry stated that 29 individuals, including Dutch nationals and others, will be on the Dutch charter flight. France's Foreign Ministry announced that five French passengers will be repatriated and monitored in a hospital for 72 hours before a 45-day home quarantine. British authorities indicated that UK passengers and crew will be hospitalized for observation upon return.

Australia is dispatching a plane expected to arrive Monday to evacuate its nationals and those from nearby countries like New Zealand. Norwegian authorities have sent an ambulance plane with personnel trained for high-risk infections.

In related developments, British Army medics parachuted onto Tristan da Cunha, a remote South Atlantic territory, to assist a resident with a suspected hantavirus case. The patient had been a passenger on the MV Hondius and disembarked last month.

Meanwhile, a Spanish woman in Alicante, who was on the same flight as a Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg after traveling on the cruise ship, tested negative for hantavirus, according to Spanish health authorities.