Groups of passengers and crew began evacuating the cruise ship MV Hondius on Sunday after a hantavirus outbreak was confirmed, triggering an international evacuation coordinated by global health authorities.
None of the passengers aboard showed symptoms at the time of evacuation. They were transported by military buses to Tenerife airport, where government planes from their home countries awaited to repatriate them. Spanish officials emphasized strict measures to prevent any contact between evacuees and the general public.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a 42-day quarantine for all passengers starting Sunday, following the identification of multiple infections linked to the vessel.
By midday, flights carrying Spanish and French nationals had departed, with subsequent evacuations planned for citizens of Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Ireland, and the United States. Dutch aircraft were also scheduled to transport passengers from Germany, Belgium, and Greece.
Meanwhile, Australian authorities prepared a separate evacuation flight expected to arrive Monday, which will carry Australian citizens as well as passengers from New Zealand and several Asian countries.
The outbreak was initially detected on May 2 when South African health officials tested a British passenger who had been admitted to intensive care. Since then, three former passengers—a Dutch couple and a German national—have died, and several others remain hospitalized in South Africa, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Health experts believe the initial infection may have occurred before boarding, possibly during travel in Argentina or Chile, regions where hantavirus is endemic. It is suspected that the virus subsequently spread among passengers during the cruise.
In a significant development, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Tenerife to supervise evacuation and testing efforts alongside Spanish health authorities.
Despite the outbreak, Spanish officials reiterated that the risk to the general public remains low. They also confirmed that no rodents, the primary carriers of hantavirus, were found on the ship.
Passengers will stay onboard until their scheduled evacuation flights depart, while approximately 30 crew members will remain with the vessel as it sails to the Netherlands for comprehensive disinfection procedures.
