A cruise ship hit by a lethal hantavirus outbreak arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday (10 Might 2026), with a lot of the roughly 150 individuals on board evacuated and set to fly house after weeks at sea.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius arrived on the Spanish port of Granadilla, escorted by a personal safety vessel. AFP The incident was reported by journalists and confirmed by information from the maritime monitoring service VesselFinder.
A few of the passengers and crew are anticipated to be evacuated earlier than the ship, the place three individuals have died attributable to a hantavirus outbreak, continues on its solution to the Netherlands.
Three passengers on the ship – a Dutch couple and a German lady – died and others contracted the uncommon illness, which normally spreads amongst rodents.
Andes virus, the one kind of hantavirus that may be transmitted from individual to individual, has been recognized in individuals who have examined constructive, elevating worldwide issues.
“We’re classifying everybody on board as so-called high-risk contacts,” Maria van Kerkhove, WHO’s head of epidemics, pandemic preparedness and prevention, stated on Saturday (9 Might 2026).
Nonetheless, she added that the danger to most of the people and folks within the Canary Islands stays low.
WHO Director-Common Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who arrived in Spain on Saturday (9 Might 2026) and can oversee the evacuation of the ship, gave related assurances and thanked the individuals of Tenerife for his or her solidarity.
“I need you to listen to me clearly,” Tedros stated in an open letter to the individuals of Tenerife on Saturday (9 Might 2026), saying: “This isn’t one other coronavirus.”
After arriving in Tenerife, he stated he was assured the surgical procedure would achieve success. “Spain is prepared and prepared,” he informed reporters.
Uninterrupted every day life
Early on Sunday morning (Might 10, 2026) on the Port of Granadilla de Abona, AFP Journalists noticed white tents arrange alongside the marina and police securing a part of the port.
Regardless of the scenario, every day life seemed to be principally regular, with some individuals swimming, others purchasing in markets, and others sitting on cafe terraces.
“There’s some concern that there may be a danger, however to be sincere, I do not see individuals being that involved,” stated lottery ticket vendor David Parada.
Native authorities have refused the ship entry into the port. As a substitute, the ship will stay offshore from Sunday to Monday whereas passengers are screened and evacuated, climate allowing, well being officers stated.
Cruise firm Oceanwide Expeditions stated earlier that “all company and a restricted variety of crew members” would start disembarking from round 7pm Japan time.
“After disembarking, you can be instantly transferred to your assigned plane,” the Dutch firm stated.
The WHO introduced on Friday (Might 8, 2026) that six of the eight suspected circumstances have been confirmed. There aren’t any suspected contaminated individuals left on the ship.
The MV Hondius sailed from Cape Verde, the place three contaminated individuals had already been evacuated earlier this week.
observe and hint
In Madrid, Spain’s well being and inside ministers insisted there can be “no contact” with native residents and that passengers would depart “by nationality group.”
“All areas via which (passengers) go will probably be sealed off,” the inside minister stated, including {that a} maritime exclusion zone can be arrange across the ship.
The MV Hondius left Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1st for a cruise throughout the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Verde.
State well being official Juan Petrina stated it was “virtually zero” that the Dutch man concerned within the outbreak was contaminated in Ushuaia, given the virus’ incubation interval and different components.
Well being authorities in a number of nations are monitoring passengers who’ve already disembarked and those that could have come into contact with them.
The WHO introduced on Friday (8 Might 2026) {that a} flight attendant for Dutch airline KLM who got here into contact with an contaminated passenger on a cruise ship and subsequently confirmed delicate signs has examined unfavourable for hantavirus.
The passenger, the spouse of the primary individual to die within the outbreak, was briefly on a flight from Johannesburg to the Netherlands on April 25, however was eliminated earlier than takeoff.
She died the subsequent day in a Johannesburg hospital.
Spanish authorities stated a lady on the flight was present process a hantavirus check after creating signs at her house in jap Spain. She is in isolation at a hospital, Well being Secretary Javier Padilla stated.
Singapore metropolis authorities stated on Friday (8 Might 2026) that two Singapore residents on board the ship had examined unfavourable however would stay in quarantine.
British well being authorities additionally introduced on Friday (8 Might 2026) a suspected case of the virus in Tristan da Cunha, one of many world’s most remoted settlements with a inhabitants of round 220 individuals.
issued – Might 10, 2026 11:43 AM IST
