Hantavirus-hit cruise ship reaches Tenerife as passenger evacuations begin

The MV Hondius reached waters near Granadilla Port at around 5:30 a.m. local time, according to Spanish media reports. Officials confirmed six hantavirus infections and two suspected cases, with three deaths linked to the outbreak, including two on board.

Passengers — currently asymptomatic — are being transferred in small groups to shore for health screenings before boarding repatriation flights to their home countries.

International response as passengers return home

The ship carries passengers and crew from more than 20 countries, including the US, UK, Spain, the Philippines, Germany, France, Türkiye, Canada, and Australia.

Spanish passengers are expected to be among the first evacuated, with some transferred to a military hospital in Madrid for quarantine. Seventeen US passengers will be flown to Nebraska for monitoring at a specialized quarantine facility.

US health officials said passengers will be monitored for up to six weeks, matching the virus’s incubation period.

Rare andes virus raises concern

Health authorities identified the outbreak as the Andes strain of hantavirus — the only known variant capable of human-to-human transmission through close contact.

The World Health Organization said the outbreak has resulted in five confirmed cases and three deaths. Two passengers who later died had reportedly traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before boarding the vessel.

An American oncologist aboard the ship, Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, helped manage the growing crisis after the ship’s doctor became infected. He described the outbreak as a rapidly escalating emergency but praised passengers for working together during the ordeal.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified the incident as a Level 3 emergency response, its lowest emergency activation level.

Source:AA