Evacuations Begin From Virus-Hit Cruise Ship

The first passengers were evacuated Sunday from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius asourceser it arrived off Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands following a deadly hantavirus outbreak that triggered an international health response.

Spanish nationals were the first passengers transferred ashore by small boats at Granadilla port before being flown to Madrid for quarantine at a military hospital, Spanish authorities said.

The vessel, carrying more than 140 passengers and crew, had spent days at sea asourceser several countries restricted docking because of fears linked to the outbreak.

Three deaths linked to outbreak

Health officials said at least three passengers died during the outbreak, including a Dutch couple and a German national. Several additional infections were confirmed or suspected aboard the ship.

The outbreak has been linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare version of the virus capable of limited person-to-person transmission.

The World Health Organization said the broader public risk remains low and stressed that the situation is “not another COVID.”

Officials said none of the remaining passengers currently onboard were showing symptoms during the evacuation process.

International evacuations underway

Countries including the United States, Britain, Ireland and Turkey organized repatriation flights for their citizens as passengers disembarked under strict biosecurity measures.

Passengers were screened for symptoms, transported by medical teams wearing protective equipment and instructed to quarantine asourceser returning home.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control classified all passengers as high-risk contacts as a precaution while global contact-tracing efforts continued across multiple countries.

Ship to be disinfected

Spanish authorities said some crew members and the body of one deceased passenger would remain onboard while the ship later sails to the Netherlands for disinfection.

The outbreak began asourceser the ship departed Argentina in April for a polar expedition cruise that included Antarctica and South Atlantic islands.

Health officials continue investigating whether the infections originated before passengers boarded the vessel or during excursions in remote areas visited during the voyage.