- The WHO said eight people onboard had fallen ill, with six confirmed infections and two suspected cases
- public health risks linked to the virus remain limited despite growing concern surrounding the incident
- British passengers and crew are expected to undergo an initial isolation period at a hospital in northwest England after returning home
Several countries are preparing to evacuate their citizens from the cruise ship MV Hondius following an outbreak of hantavirus that has already claimed three lives, as the vessel approaches Tenerife in Spain.
Eko Hot Blog reports that health authorities, however, said the likelihood of widespread transmission remains low.
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The World Health Organization on Saturday briefed countries with nationals aboard the ship, advising governments to closely monitor passengers for 42 days after their last possible exposure to the virus.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus sought to calm fears over the outbreak, stressing that the situation should not be compared to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, public health risks linked to the virus remain limited despite growing concern surrounding the incident.
Tedros also explained that passengers would be moved ashore under strict safety measures once the ship arrives near Tenerife. He said evacuees would be transported through secured corridors in guarded vehicles before being flown directly to their home countries.
Authorities confirmed that the vessel left the coast of Cape Verde earlier in the week after international health bodies requested an organised evacuation process
Hantavirus is commonly spread through contact with infected rodents, although rare cases of human-to-human transmission have been recorded.
The WHO said eight people onboard had fallen ill, with six confirmed infections and two suspected cases. Among the dead were a Dutch couple and a German national.
The ship is expected to arrive near Tenerife early Sunday morning, with evacuation operations scheduled to begin later in the day before worsening sea conditions set in.
Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands would send aircraft to evacuate their citizens.
He added that the European Union would also deploy additional planes for other European nationals, while the United States and the United Kingdom were arranging transport and contingency plans for their citizens and others without dedicated evacuation support.
British passengers and crew are expected to undergo an initial isolation period at a hospital in northwest England after returning home.
Reports also indicated that American passengers would be transferred to Nebraska for testing and quarantine procedures.
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said all passengers and 17 crew members would disembark during the evacuation process, while about 30 crew members would remain onboard as the ship continues to the Netherlands.
She added that the ship would undergo full disinfection procedures upon arrival, while luggage and the body of one deceased passenger would remain onboard until further arrangements are completed.
Spanish citizens are expected to leave the ship first, while health officials will determine the evacuation order for other nationalities. Authorities also said passengers would only disembark once their evacuation flights are prepared for departure.
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