Hantavirus-hit cruise ship reaches Tenerife as evacuation begins

Ship arrives at Granadilla Port

The cruise ship MV Hondius arrived in waters off Granadilla Port on Tenerife Island early Sunday morning as authorities launched a large-scale medical operation to evacuate 150 passengers and crew following a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has killed three people, according to Spanish media reports. The vessel reached its position at approximately 5:30 am local time (0430GMT) with six confirmed infections and two suspected cases on board, including two fatalities that occurred during the voyage while the ship was still at sea.

Evacuation and screening protocols

Health officials said the remaining passengers are currently asymptomatic but will undergo rigorous medical screening and complete epidemiological questionnaires before authorities clear them for repatriation flights to their home countries. Spanish authorities are transferring evacuees in small groups by boat to shore without allowing the ship to dock, then transporting them by bus to an airport roughly six miles away for onward travel. Spanish nationals are expected to be among the first evacuated, with some transferred to a military hospital in Madrid for quarantine lasting between one and two weeks depending on individual medical evaluations.

International repatriation efforts

Seventeen US passengers will be flown to the United States and monitored at a specialized quarantine unit in Nebraska, though officials said mandatory quarantine is not expected for the asymptomatic travelers. An American oncologist aboard the vessel, Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, stepped in to treat passengers after the ship’s doctor became infected, describing the situation as a rapidly escalating medical crisis, according to ABC News. Kornfeld said one patient died within 24 hours of his involvement while the ship’s doctor and a staff member showed worsening symptoms, noting that multiple infected individuals had already been treated in the Netherlands, South Africa, and Switzerland after disembarking earlier in the voyage.

Virus strain and global response

The outbreak involves the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, the only known variant capable of human-to-human transmission through close contact, prompting the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to classify the incident as a Level 3 emergency response. World Health Organization officials confirmed that two deceased passengers had traveled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before boarding the ship, and said travelers will be monitored for approximately six weeks reflecting the virus’s incubation period. The vessel carried a diverse international passenger list including 38 crew members from the Philippines, 23 British nationals, 17 Americans, 14 Spaniards, and 11 Dutch citizens, alongside eight Germans, five French nationals, five Ukrainians, four Canadians, four Australians, three passengers from Türkiye, and travelers from India, Belgium, Ireland, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Montenegro, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Argentina, and Guatemala.