A cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak has arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands, where urgent plans are now underway to evacuate most of the nearly 150 passengers and crew who have been at sea for weeks under health emergency conditions.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius docked at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife on Sunday morning under the escort of Spain’s Civil Guard. Maritime tracking data and AFP journalists confirmed its arrival as emergency response teams prepared for a large-scale evacuation operation.
Authorities say passengers and selected crew members will be flown home after screening, while the ship will later continue its journey back to the Netherlands. The outbreak onboard has already claimed three lives — a Dutch couple and a German woman — while several other passengers have fallen ill with the rare disease, which is typically linked to rodents.
Health officials confirmed that the strain detected among infected individuals is the Andes virus, the only hantavirus known to spread from person to person, raising international concern and triggering coordinated monitoring efforts across multiple countries.
“We classify everybody on board as what we call a high-risk contact,” WHO epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director Maria Van Kerkhove said Saturday.
Despite the seriousness of the situation onboard, global health authorities stressed that the risk to the general public in the Canary Islands remains low.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who arrived in Spain ahead of the evacuation, reassured the public while praising local cooperation.
“I need you to hear me clearly,” Tedros wrote in an open letter to residents of Tenerife on Saturday: “This is not another Covid.”
He later expressed confidence in the ongoing operation, telling reporters that “Spain is ready and prepared.”
At the port of Granadilla de Abona, early Sunday, security was visibly tightened. White tents were set up along the dockside while police restricted access to sections of the harbour in preparation for controlled evacuations.
Even with the emergency measures in place, daily life in surrounding areas continued largely unaffected, with residents seen shopping, dining in cafés, and swimming nearby.
“There are worries there could be a danger, but honestly, I don’t see people being very concerned,” said local lottery vendor David Parada.
Officials confirmed that the ship would not dock directly at the port. Instead, it will remain offshore while health teams carry out testing and evacuation procedures between Sunday and Monday — the only window authorities say weather conditions will safely allow transfers.
Cruise operator Oceanwide Expeditions stated that “all guests and a limited number of crew members” would begin disembarkation from around 0700 GMT.
“Once disembarked, they will be transferred immediately to their allocated aircraft,” the company added.
The World Health Organization confirmed on Friday that six cases had been confirmed out of eight suspected infections, adding that no suspected cases remain onboard the vessel.
The ship’s journey began in Cape Verde, where three infected passengers were evacuated earlier in the week before the vessel continued toward the Canary Islands.
Spanish authorities have assured that strict containment measures are in place to prevent any contact between evacuees and the local population.
“All areas (the passengers) pass through will be sealed off,” the interior minister said, adding that a maritime exclusion zone will also surround the ship during operations.