TENERIFE – The MV Hondius cruise ship, beleaguered by a hantavirus outbreak, has arrived at the sun-drenched shores of Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands. The ship, carrying over 140 individuals, will see passengers and some crew members disembark amid stringent health checks.
The World Health Organization, in collaboration with Spanish authorities and Oceanwide Expeditions, has confirmed that no current passengers on board are exhibiting symptoms of the virus. However, the outbreak has already claimed three lives, with five passengers previously disembarked showing hantavirus infection, which poses the threat of severe illness.
In a bid to ensure safety, the ship will remain anchored offshore, with passengers and crew being ferried to land on smaller boats. Each individual will undergo thorough health screenings for potential symptoms and will only leave the ship once evacuation flights are prepared to transport them to their respective destinations.
Onboard the MV Hondius are individuals from over 20 different countries, highlighting the global nature of this unfortunate incident.
To oversee the delicate disembarkation process, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, alongside Spain’s health and interior ministers, will be on hand. Authorities have assured that those leaving the ship will not interact with the local populace, minimizing any potential risk of further spread.
The hantavirus, typically contracted through inhalation of particles from rodent droppings, is not easily transmissible between humans. However, the Andes virus variant found on the ship may spread among individuals in rare instances. Symptoms can present themselves anywhere from one to eight weeks post-exposure, necessitating vigilant monitoring of those who were aboard the vessel.
Authorities are aiming to complete the evacuation flights on Sunday and Monday, the director of the WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Management, Maria Van Kerkhove, said in a briefing Saturday.
Both the U.S. and the U.K. have agreed to send planes to evacuate their citizens. Americans are to be quarantined at a medical center in Nebraska.
All Spanish passengers will be transferred to a medical facility and quarantined. Oceanwide has listed 13 Spanish passengers and one Spanish crew member on board.
Those disembarking will leave behind their luggage, and will be allowed to take only a small bag with essential items, a cellphone, charger and documentation.
Some crew, as well as the body of a passenger who died on board, will remain on the ship, which will sail on to the Netherlands where it will undergo disinfection, Spanish authorities said.
