Spanish authorities are preparing a large-scale emergency evacuation operation as the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius heads toward the Canary Islands following multiple deaths and growing international concern over the outbreak.
The Dutch-flagged vessel, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew members, is expected to arrive in Tenerife early Sunday. Spanish officials say strict containment and isolation measures will be enforced during the evacuation process.
At least three passengers have died from the outbreak, while several others remain ill. Health authorities across multiple countries are now racing to trace passengers who left the ship before hantavirus infections were officially confirmed.
Spain’s emergency services chief, Virginia Barcones, said all passengers would be moved through completely isolated and secured areas to prevent any public exposure. Travelers are expected to be transported directly from the ship to airports using guarded vehicles before returning to their home countries.
The United States has agreed to send a plane to evacuate its 17 citizens from the cruise ship, while the United Kingdom is arranging a separate evacuation flight for nearly two dozen British nationals onboard.
The World Health Organization has stressed that the overall public health risk remains low and urged people not to compare the outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said hantavirus is not “a new COVID” and emphasized that the virus is generally difficult to spread between humans. Hantavirus is commonly transmitted through exposure to infected rodent droppings, although the Andes strain linked to the outbreak may rarely spread between people.
Concerns briefly intensified after a KLM flight attendant who had contact with an infected passenger became ill. However, health officials later confirmed she tested negative for the virus, easing fears of wider transmission.
The outbreak has triggered international contact tracing efforts across Europe, Africa, North America, and the South Atlantic after dozens of passengers from at least 12 countries disembarked the ship before health alerts were issued.
British authorities confirmed that a third U.K. national is now suspected of being infected with hantavirus after the cruise ship stopped at Tristan da Cunha, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic.
South African and Dutch health authorities are also tracing individuals who may have come into contact with infected passengers during flights and port stops linked to the voyage.
Despite growing concern, Spanish officials reassured residents of the Canary Islands that there would be no direct public interaction with evacuated passengers.