Virus-hit cruise ship arrives in Tenerife as passengers prepare for evacuation

A cargo ship sits in the industrial port of Granadilla,    Tenerife

A cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak has arrived off the coast of Tenerife, where Spanish authorities have launched a major operation to evacuate and repatriate more than 100 passengers and crew.

The Dutch vessel, MV Hondius, reached waters near the industrial port of Granadilla before dawn on Sunday, nearly a month after the first passenger died on board.

Spanish officials said the ship would remain isolated offshore under a one-nautical-mile security perimeter while medical teams assessed those on board before any disembarkation could begin.

The operation, involving authorities from 23 countries, has been described by Spain’s health minister Mónica García as “unprecedented”.

Medical personnel are expected to board the ship to screen passengers and crew for symptoms linked to the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, which is believed to have infected several people during the voyage.

According to health officials, no new suspected cases have been identified in recent days.

Passengers will later be transferred ashore in small groups according to nationality before being flown home on chartered aircraft arranged by their governments.

The outbreak has already claimed the lives of three passengers during the voyage, prompting heightened international concern and a large-scale public health response.

Officials from countries including the United Kingdom, the United States and several European Union member states have sent aircraft to assist with the repatriation process.

Spanish nationals returning from the ship are expected to undergo mandatory quarantine at a military hospital in Madrid.

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, travelled to Tenerife to oversee the operation and urged residents not to panic.

“This is not another Covid,” he said, adding that the risk of wider contagion remained low because hantavirus spreads differently and extensive containment measures had already been implemented.

Health authorities believe the outbreak may have originated near a landfill site in southern Argentina, where rodents known to carry the virus are commonly found.

Doctors at the Candelaria Hospital said specialist isolation units and intensive care facilities had been prepared in case any passengers became seriously ill during the transfer operation.

The arrival of the ship initially triggered concern among some residents and port workers in Tenerife, with protests held over fears about potential health risks.

However, officials have repeatedly stressed that the danger to the wider public remains minimal if established safety protocols are followed.

Around 30 crew members are expected to remain aboard the ship to sail it back to the Netherlands after the evacuation is completed.

For most passengers, the arrival in Tenerife marks the end of weeks of uncertainty at sea though many now face extended periods of medical monitoring and quarantine after returning home.

Source: BBC News