Hantavirus Outbreak Cruise Ship Reaches Canary Islands as Passengers Prepare to Leave

A cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak arrived off Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday, ending weeks at sea for nearly 150 passengers and crew members now preparing for a tightly controlled evacuation operation overseen by international health officials.

The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius reached waters near the southern Tenerife port of Granadilla de Abona under escort from a Spanish Civil Guard vessel, according to AFP journalists at the scene and maritime tracking data from VesselFinder.

The vessel has drawn international attention after three passengers died during the voyage. The victims were identified as a Dutch husband and wife and a German woman. Several other people on board later became ill with hantavirus, a rare disease commonly associated with rodents.

Health authorities confirmed that the strain detected among positive cases was the Andes virus, the only known form of hantavirus capable of spreading from person to person. That finding prompted heightened monitoring from the World Health Organization, although officials stressed there was no broader public health emergency in the Canary Islands.

“We classify everybody on board as what we call a high-risk contact,” WHO epidemic and pandemic preparedness director Maria Van Kerkhove said on Saturday. She also said the risk to the wider public remained low.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Spain ahead of the operation and sought to calm fears among residents in Tenerife. In an open letter published Saturday, he told island residents: “This is not another Covid.”

Speaking after landing in Spain, Tedros said authorities were prepared for the evacuation and expressed confidence in the arrangements being put in place.

At Granadilla de Abona early Sunday, police cordoned off sections of the port while white medical tents were erected along the quay. Even with the arrival of the ship dominating headlines, much of daily life nearby continued without visible disruption. Residents gathered at cafés, shoppers moved through local markets and swimmers remained along the coast.

“There are worries there could be a danger, but honestly I don’t see people being very concerned,” said David Parada, a local lottery vendor.

Regional authorities declined to allow the vessel to dock directly at the port. Instead, the ship is expected to remain offshore while passengers undergo screening before leaving in stages between Sunday and Monday, a schedule health officials said was determined partly by weather conditions.

Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions said “all guests and a limited number of crew members” were expected to begin leaving the vessel from around 0700 GMT. After disembarkation, passengers are due to be transferred directly to aircraft arranged for their return journeys.

The WHO said Friday it had confirmed six hantavirus cases from eight suspected infections linked to the ship. Officials added there were no remaining suspected cases on board as the evacuation operation began.

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The arrival of the Hondius has placed Tenerife briefly at the center of an unusually complex public health response, though authorities continue to emphasize that everyday activity across the island can proceed normally while the operation unfolds offshore.