Tenerife: The Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius, which was struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, has arrived near the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
According to data from maritime tracking service VesselFinder, the vessel reached the Spanish port early on Sunday while being escorted by a Civil Guard vessel.
The cruise ship departed from the coast of Cape Verde, heading toward Tenerife after the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union requested Spain to oversee the evacuation of passengers following the detection of the hantavirus outbreak onboard.
#Hantavirus is not COVID, and the risk to the people of Tenerife is low because of the nature of the disease and the actions of the Spanish government.
I commend Spain’s response, in line with the International Health Regulations, and the strong show of solidarity by Prime… pic.twitter.com/bqANrg5U0W
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 10, 2026
The WHO stated that at least eight people aboard the vessel had fallen ill, including three fatalities involving a Dutch couple and a German national. According to the organisation, six people have been confirmed to have contracted hantavirus, while two additional cases remain under suspicion.
Later on May 9, Europe’s public health agency said that all passengers aboard the luxury cruise ship were being treated as high-risk contacts as a precautionary measure.
Upon arrival in Tenerife, Spanish health authorities are expected to test passengers to ensure they remain asymptomatic before they are transferred ashore in small boats, according to Spanish officials.
Passengers will then be transported in sealed-off buses to the island’s main airport, located approximately 10 minutes away, where they will board flights returning to their respective countries.
Spanish authorities stated that the evacuation process is expected to begin between 7:30 am and 8:30 am local time, corresponding to 06:30 and 07:00 GMT. Government officials said Spanish nationals would disembark first, followed by passengers of other nationalities in groups.
Around 30 crew members will remain onboard the vessel, which is scheduled to sail to the Netherlands, where the ship will undergo disinfection procedures. Hantavirus is typically transmitted through rodents, although in rare cases it can spread from person to person.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Tenerife alongside Spain’s interior minister, health minister, and territorial policy minister to coordinate the arrival of the vessel and oversee evacuation efforts.
Tedros also reassured residents in Tenerife and thanked them for their solidarity during the operation. The Director-General stressed that the hantavirus outbreak should not be viewed as another COVID-19 situation.
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