Rabat – Passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius began disembarking in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday after a hantavirus outbreak onboard triggered international concern and emergency evacuation efforts.
The Dutch-flagged ship arrived near Tenerife, where Spanish authorities launched an evacuation operation. Spanish nationals were the first to leave the vessel in small groups before being transferred by bus to the airport and flown to Madrid aboard a military aircraft.
According to AFP, 14 Spanish evacuees arrived at the Torrejon airbase on Sunday and will remain in quarantine at a military hospital for observation.
French authorities also confirmed the repatriation of five French citizens from the ship. The passengers landed at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Sunday afternoon aboard a medical flight. They will be transferred to Bichat Hospital, where they will remain in quarantine for 72 hours while doctors carry out medical evaluations.
Officials said the evacuations are being conducted under strict health protocols and in coordination with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Authorities stated that evacuated passengers are not showing symptoms and will have no contact with the public during quarantine procedures.
The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius has raised concern online, with some comparisons being made to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, health experts have urged calm, saying hantavirus is very different and poses little risk to the wider public.
Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia said the virus is well known and spreads mainly through close contact. He added that the current situation should not be compared to Covid-19.
Hantavirus is a group of viruses mainly spread by rodents through contact with their urine, droppings, or saliva. In rare cases, some strains can spread between humans through very close contact.
The virus can cause serious illnesses such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which affects the lungs, but health experts say the risk to the wider public remains very low.
