GRANADILLA DE ABONA, Spain: A cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak departed for the Netherlands on Tuesday after all remaining passengers were evacuated in Spain’s Canary Islands, as health authorities confirmed at least seven infections connected to the vessel.
Three people died after the rare rodent-borne virus was detected aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, triggering an international health response involving several countries and the World Health Organization.
Health officials said seven living passengers have tested positive for hantavirus, while another case is considered probable. French authorities confirmed that one infected woman remains in intensive care but is in stable condition.
The ship left Tenerife for Rotterdam, where it is expected to undergo full disinfection procedures upon arrival. More than 25 crew members and medical staff remain onboard, along with the body of a German passenger who died during the voyage.
Human-to-human transmission
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia Gomez said authorities had completed the evacuation of 125 passengers and crew members from 23 countries.
“Mission accomplished,” she said at the port of Granadilla de Abona.
The final group of evacuees travelled to the Netherlands on special flights from Tenerife.
One flight carried mostly crew members and medical personnel, while another transported passengers from Australia, New Zealand and Britain who are expected to enter quarantine before returning home.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sought to calm public fears, saying the outbreak “is not another Covid”.
The MV Hondius departed Argentina on April 1 for a transatlantic cruise. The WHO believes the first infection likely occurred before the voyage began, followed by possible human-to-human transmission onboard.
