MV Hondius Hantavirus Outbreak Evacuation

A deadly hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius cruise ship has led to three passenger deaths and an international evacuation effort. The MV Hondius is headed to Spain's Spain — Canary Islands, specifically off Tenerife, where nearly 150 people on board will be evacuated and flown home. The World Health Organization, with its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is coordinating the operation, assuring the public that the risk of wider transmission is low and that this is not another Covid-19 pandemic. Spanish authorities, including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Health Minister Monica Garcia, have agreed to provide a safe port for the evacuation, emphasizing strict measures to prevent contact with the local population. Passengers will be screened offshore and transferred to Tenerife South airport for repatriation flights to countries including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. The MV Hondius departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 and made a stop in Cape Verde, where some infected individuals were previously evacuated. Health authorities globally are tracking former passengers and contacts, with suspected cases reported in Spain and Tristan da Cunha, though a Air France-KLM — KLM flight attendant who had contact with an infected passenger tested negative.