An American citizen from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which has been hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, has tested positive for the virus, US officials confirmed on Monday. The repatriation of passengers from the Dutch-flagged vessel continued as Spanish authorities worked to complete the operation.
Deadly Outbreak on MV Hondius
Three passengers from the MV Hondius have died: a Dutch couple and a German woman. Several others have fallen ill with the rare disease, which is typically spread through rodents. The ship departed from Argentina in April, where hantavirus is endemic.
No vaccines or specific treatments exist for hantavirus, but health officials have stressed that the risk to global public health remains low and have dismissed comparisons to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Repatriation Efforts Underway
On Sunday, Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia announced the evacuation of 94 people from 19 different nationalities. The operation continued on Monday with final repatriation flights to Australia and the Netherlands. The ship is expected to depart for the Netherlands with about 30 crew members at 7:00 pm local time.
Passengers wearing blue medical suits disembarked the vessel on Sunday and were transported to Tenerife South airport via Spanish army buses. Garcia stated that all passengers were asymptomatic before disembarking and underwent a final medical assessment.
Confirmed Cases and Symptoms
Despite initial assurances, one of five French passengers flown back to France showed hantavirus symptoms, according to Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. He wrote on X that all evacuees have been placed in strict isolation. US health authorities later confirmed that an American passenger tested mildly positive for the virus via PCR, and another has mild symptoms.
A plane arrived in the Netherlands carrying dozens of people from various nationalities, including Belgian, Greek, German, Guatemalan, and Argentine citizens. Flights for Canadian, Turkish, British, Irish, and US nationals also departed.
Race Against Time
Canary Islands authorities have emphasized that the operation must be completed by Monday, as adverse weather conditions will force the ship to leave. The regional government had resisted docking the ship, allowing it only to anchor offshore before it arrived early Sunday morning.
