The deadly hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius has triggered a large-scale repatriation and isolation effort for its passengers. The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated all passengers as high-risk contacts, recommending medical observation for up to 42 days.
On May 10, AFP and other news outlets reported that a major evacuation operation was underway for passengers and crew aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, currently docked at Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands.
At least three fatalities have been confirmed, including a Dutch couple and a German woman, with additional infections reported.
The Hondius was carrying approximately 150 passengers and crew members from 23 different countries.
Spanish health officials stated that over 90 individuals would be evacuated to their home countries by day’s end, including those on the final flight to the U.S. The remaining passengers are slated for repatriation by Monday.
AFP reported that passengers, clad in blue protective suits, were transferred to smaller vessels and transported to Tenerife’s Granadilla Industrial Port. From there, they were escorted to the airport via military buses, where they donned fresh protective gear before boarding flights to their respective countries.
Among the returning French nationals, one passenger has already shown symptoms. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that a French passenger exhibited symptoms during the return flight, prompting immediate and strict isolation measures.
French authorities are currently testing all returnees and considering additional preventive measures.
A special flight bound for the Netherlands carried nationals from Belgium, Greece, Germany, Guatemala, and Argentina. Dutch officials announced that their citizens would self-isolate at home, while foreign nationals would be transferred to separate quarantine facilities.
Greek authorities plan to place one male passenger in mandatory 45-day isolation at an Athens hospital, while Spain will monitor 14 of its citizens at a military hospital in Madrid.
Asian countries are also responding to the outbreak. Singapore’s health authorities have isolated two residents with a history of traveling on the Hondius at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
The two individuals, a 67-year-old Singaporean man and a 65-year-old permanent resident, have tested negative so far. However, authorities are conducting extended medical monitoring due to the virus’s incubation period.
In contrast, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that returning American citizens are not required to enter specialized isolation facilities. The CDC indicated that home isolation may be appropriate, depending on the individual’s infection risk level.
The primary concern in this outbreak is the confirmation of the Andes virus, which can spread between humans. This is currently the only known hantavirus capable of human-to-human transmission.
The WHO has officially confirmed six out of eight suspected cases to date.
However, the WHO emphasized that this situation does not pose a global risk comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Hondius departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, in April, crossing the Atlantic en route to Cape Verde in West Africa. The WHO believes the initial infection occurred before departure, with subsequent person-to-person transmission likely occurring onboard.
However, local health authorities in Argentina contend that, given the incubation period, it’s highly unlikely that the initial infected person contracted the virus in Ushuaia.
Spanish officials stressed the need to complete most evacuation operations by Monday, ahead of expected adverse weather conditions. Once the final evacuation is complete, a skeleton crew of about 30 members will remain to navigate the Hondius to Rotterdam, Netherlands.
