Spain Prepares for Evacuation of Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship Arriving in Canary Islands
Spanish authorities are preparing to evacuate over 140 passengers and crew from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is arriving in Tenerife, Canary Islands, following a hantavirus outbreak. Three deaths have been confirmed, and five former passengers are known to be infected. The U.S. and U.K. are sending planes to repatriate their citizens. Health officials plan to isolate evacuees in a cordoned-off area to prevent spread. The World Health Organization (WHO) assesses the risk to the general public as low, noting that hantavirus is primarily transmitted via rodent droppings, though rare human-to-human transmission is possible with the Andes virus strain involved. Concerns regarding transmissibility eased after a flight attendant who had contact with an infected passenger tested negative. Meanwhile, health authorities across four continents are tracing contacts of dozens of passengers who disembarked before the outbreak was detected. Additional suspected cases have emerged in the U.K., Spain, and South Africa, prompting ongoing international monitoring and contact tracing efforts.
Wire timeline
Spain Prepares for Evacuation of Hantavirus-Stricken Cruise Ship Arriving in Canary Islands
Spanish authorities are preparing to evacuate over 140 passengers and crew from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is arriving in Tenerife, Canary Islands, following a hantavirus outbreak. Three deaths have been confirmed, and five former passengers are known to be infected. The U.S. and U.K. are sending planes to repatriate their citizens. Health officials plan to isolate evacuees in a cordoned-off area to prevent spread. The World Health Organization (WHO) assesses the risk to the general public as low, noting that hantavirus is primarily transmitted via rodent droppings, though rare human-to-human transmission is possible with the Andes virus strain involved. Concerns regarding transmissibility eased after a flight attendant who had contact with an infected passenger tested negative. Meanwhile, health authorities across four continents are tracing contacts of dozens of passengers who disembarked before the outbreak was detected. Additional suspected cases have emerged in the U.K., Spain, and South Africa, prompting ongoing international monitoring and contact tracing efforts.
The Mainichi