Hantavirus Cruise Ship Evacuation Begins in Tenerife
Spain has launched a multinational evacuation effort after a hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius killed three people and prompted international tracing operations.
Passengers from the MV Hondius in Tenerife as Spain coordinates an international evacuation and quarantine operation following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship. Photo: ARISEtv
May 10, 2026 Hour: 5:41 am
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Spain launches multinational evacuation after hantavirus outbreak aboard MV Hondius left three passengers dead.
Spanish authorities on Sunday began evacuating passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius after a hantavirus outbreak aboard the vessel caused at least three deaths and triggered an international public health response coordinated with the World Health Organization (WHO).
RELATED: WHO Director on Hantavirus: “This Is Not Another COVID”
The Dutch-flagged ship arrived near the Port of Granadilla, in Tenerife, escorted by a Spanish Civil Guard vessel after departing from Cape Verde earlier this week. Spain agreed to oversee the evacuation following requests from the WHO and the European Union.
European authorities coordinated with Spain and the WHO as multiple governments prepared evacuation flights and quarantine measures for their nationals aboard the vessel.
According to the WHO, at least eight people on board became ill during the voyage. Six infections have been confirmed as hantavirus cases, while two others remain under investigation. The fatalities include a Dutch couple and a German national.
Spain coordinates international evacuation
Health officials boarded the vessel shortly before midday Sunday to conduct a final inspection before passengers began disembarking.
The first passengers evacuated were Spanish nationals, transferred by small boats to shore before being transported by military buses to the airport. Officials said they would be flown to Madrid aboard a Spanish government aircraft and placed under hospital quarantine.
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said Dutch passengers would be evacuated next, alongside passengers from Germany, Belgium and Greece. Additional flights were scheduled for nationals from Turkiye, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“The last flight for this operation is leaving from Australia … It is the most complex flight and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow afternoon,” Garcia told reporters at the port in Tenerife.
She added that the flight would evacuate six people from Australia, New Zealand and other Asian countries.
Thirty crew members will remain aboard the vessel, which is expected to sail to the Netherlands for disinfection after the evacuation is completed.
Before the ship’s arrival, Spain’s Ministry of Health reported that inspections aboard the vessel found no evidence of rodents and confirmed that sanitary conditions met required standards.
“According to information provided by experts who boarded the ship, hygiene and environmental conditions are appropriate and they did not detect any rodents; transmission through contact with rodents on board is therefore unlikely,” the ministry report stated.
WHO seeks to calm public concern
Hantavirus is commonly transmitted through rodents, although health authorities say person-to-person transmission can occur in rare cases.
The WHO estimates that between 10,000 and 100,000 hantavirus infections occur globally each year. In the Americas, Argentina records the highest number of reported cases, according to WHO data released in December.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Tenerife on Saturday alongside Spanish government officials to coordinate the response operation. In a public message addressed to residents of the Canary Islands, he sought to reassure the local population.
“I need you to hear me clearly,” Tedros wrote. “This is not another COVID.”
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, also said the risk to the general public remained low despite all passengers being classified as high-risk contacts.
In Granadilla de Abona, daily activity continued normally on Sunday as residents went to markets, beaches and cafes while authorities managed the operation at the nearby port. “There are worries there could be a danger, but honestly, I don’t see people being very concerned,” local lottery vendor David Parada.
Countries expand tracing and monitoring efforts
Even as authorities sought to reassure residents in Tenerife, health agencies across several countries continued tracing possible contacts linked to the voyage.
The MV Hondius departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for a transatlantic voyage to Cape Verde, making several stops during the trip, including Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic on April 15.
Argentinian provincial health official Juan Petrina said there was an “almost zero chance” that the Dutch passenger linked to the outbreak contracted the virus in Ushuaia, citing the disease’s incubation period and other epidemiological factors.
Authorities in several countries have launched contact tracing operations involving passengers who had already left the ship or may have interacted with infected travelers. Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands confirmed they had dispatched aircraft to Tenerife to evacuate their nationals.
French authorities said Sunday they were closely monitoring developments linked to the outbreak. British health officials also reported a suspected case on Tristan da Cunha, one of the world’s most isolated inhabited territories with around 220 residents.
Meanwhile, WHO officials confirmed that a KLM flight attendant who had contact with an infected passenger later tested negative for hantavirus.
Spanish authorities are also testing a woman in eastern Spain who developed symptoms after traveling on a related flight. She remains isolated in hospital, according to Secretary of State for Health Javier Padilla.
Two Singapore residents who had traveled aboard the MV Hondius tested negative for the virus but remain under quarantine, authorities in the city-state said. Health agencies in several countries continue monitoring passengers and possible contacts linked to the voyage as evacuation and tracing operations remain underway.
Author: MK
Source: Al Jazeera / Agencies
