MV Hondius Passengers Evacuated in Tenerife as Hantavirus Cases Rise to Nine

Mintesinot Niggusie

Passengers aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship began disembarking on Sunday morning in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where they were transferred onto charter flights for repatriation to their home countries amid a widening hantavirus outbreak.

The evacuation follows an international health response to an outbreak on board the vessel, which has been linked to confirmed and suspected cases of the rare virus during a voyage that began in Argentina before moving through the South Atlantic. Health authorities have treated all passengers as high-risk contacts as containment measures were implemented.

The total number of confirmed and probable hantavirus cases on the ship has risen to nine, including two confirmed deaths and one additional suspected fatality, according to officials involved in the response.

The MV Hondius, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was carrying around 140 to 150 passengers and crew at the time of the incident. Health agencies have classified the situation as requiring coordinated multinational evacuation procedures due to the scale of exposure risks.

Among those onboard are 17 United States citizens returning to the United States, according to official information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said at least one American passenger has tested positive for hantavirus.

The infected U.S. passenger is expected to be transferred to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit upon arrival for specialised treatment and isolation. International health authorities have been involved in coordinating the response, with passengers from multiple countries being repatriated under controlled medical protocols. Spanish nationals were among the first to be transferred for quarantine and monitoring.

Health officials continue to monitor all evacuees due to the virus’s incubation period, which can extend for several weeks, with precautionary isolation measures applied across several jurisdictions as part of containment efforts.