Hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship: WHO says “not another COVID” as evacuations begin in Tenerife
Passengers and crew from the cruise ship MV Hondius began disembarking and leaving Tenerife on Sunday under a coordinated international health operation led by Spanish authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO), following a hantavirus outbreak linked to three deaths, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
According to the latest update from the World Health Organization (WHO), the vessel arrived in the Canary Islands after weeks at sea at the center of a multinational public health response. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reassured the public that the outbreak does not pose a broader global threat.
Around 46 passengers and crew members were expected to leave the vessel on Sunday, while approximately 30 crew members are set to remain onboard as the ship returns to the Netherlands accompanied by a medical team.
The organization added that passengers will not travel on commercial flights and instead will use chartered repatriation flights coordinated with national authorities. Officials also confirmed that passengers and crew will undergo health monitoring for up to six weeks because of the virus’s incubation period.
As Qazinform News Agency reported earlier, WHO confirmed eight hantavirus-linked cases connected to the cruise ship, including three deaths.