Canary Islands Brace For Arrival Of Hantavirus-hit Cruise Ship Sunday

A cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak is heading for Spain’s Canary Islands, where most of the nearly 150 people on board were expected to be evacuated and flown home after weeks on the high sea.

The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius is due to arrive off Tenerife at dawn on Sunday, with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), set to help coordinate the evacuation.

Three passengers — a Dutch couple and a German woman — have died, while others have fallen ill with the rare virus, which is typically spread by rodents. Health authorities confirmed that the Andes strain — the only form of hantavirus known to transmit between humans — is responsible for the infections, raising international concern.

“We classify everybody on board as what we call a high-risk contact,” WHO epidemic preparedness director Maria Van Kerkhove said on Saturday. However, she stressed that the risk to the general public and residents of the Canary Islands remains low.

Tedros, who arrived in Spain on Saturday, echoed the reassurance and thanked the people of Tenerife for their cooperation. “I need you to hear me clearly,” he said in an open letter. “This is not another Covid.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, after meeting with Tedros, said granting the ship safe harbor was both a “moral and legal duty” to Spain, Europe, and international law.

At the port of Granadilla de Abona, emergency preparations were already underway, with white tents set up along the quay. Despite the looming operation, daily activities in the area continued largely undisturbed, with residents going about their routines.

Authorities have, however, denied the vessel permission to dock. Instead, it will remain offshore while passengers are screened and evacuated between Sunday and Monday — a timeframe dictated by weather conditions.

The WHO confirmed six cases out of eight suspected infections, noting there are currently no remaining suspected cases onboard.

The MV Hondius had sailed from Cape Verde, where three infected passengers were earlier evacuated. It is expected to arrive between 0300 and 0500 GMT, according to Spain’s Health Minister Mónica García Gómez, who added that part of the crew would remain onboard as the ship continues to the Netherlands.

Spanish authorities emphasized that there would be “no contact” between passengers and the local population. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the evacuation would be conducted swiftly, with passengers disembarking in nationality groups.

After onboard screening, they will be transported via smaller boats, then by bus to the airport for repatriation to countries including the United States, Britain, and France. All transit areas will be sealed, and a maritime exclusion zone enforced around the ship.

Spain’s 14 nationals aboard will be evacuated first.

The cruise began in Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, crossing the Atlantic toward Cape Verde. Health officials believe it is unlikely the outbreak originated in Ushuaia based on the virus’s incubation period.

Authorities across several countries are tracing passengers who disembarked earlier and those who may have had contact with them. A flight attendant with KLM who had contact with an infected passenger later tested negative.

The infected passenger — the wife of the first victim — had briefly boarded a flight from Johannesburg to the Netherlands on April 25 before being removed. She died the following day in a Johannesburg hospital.

Meanwhile, Spanish health officials are monitoring a suspected case in eastern Spain, while other countries, including Singapore and the UK, have taken precautionary measures.

British health authorities said around 24 passengers would be received and isolated at Arrowe Park Hospital for clinical assessment upon arrival, as part of efforts to contain any potential spread.