Hantavirus Outbreak: Cruise Ship Quarantined in Canary Islands
MADRID – A cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak will remain anchored off the coast of the Canary Islands under a strict “security barrier” as officials prepare a high-stakes international repatriation mission, authorities announced Tuesday.
Strict Isolation Procedures
The MV Hondius, which has been under quarantine since Sunday, will not be permitted to dock at a pier. Instead, the vessel will remain at sea near the industrial port of Granadilla on the island of Tenerife. Regional President Fernando Clavijo, speaking after a meeting with Spanish Health Minister Mónica García, emphasized that the 144 people on board will only leave the ship once their repatriation flights have physically landed at Tenerife South Airport.
To prevent any potential spread of the virus, passengers will be moved through a “security barrier”—a designated, guarded transit route leading to a restricted area of the airport. The 14 Spanish nationals on board will be flown directly to a military hospital in Madrid for specialized care.
The Timeline for Evacuation
The ship is expected to arrive in Tenerife waters between Saturday night and Sunday, with the Spanish Ministry of the Interior planning to launch the evacuation on Monday. While no one currently on board is showing symptoms, the Situation remains critical following three deaths and two laboratory-confirmed cases of hantavirus.
The Spanish government has activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism, requesting that EU member states repatriate their own citizens. “If any state is unable to do so, the European Commission will take over the transfer,” the Ministry stated. Ongoing diplomatic efforts are also underway to coordinate the return of passengers from non-EU nations, representing a total of 23 different nationalities.
Safety Measures and Regional Tension
Despite the high alert, World Health Organization (WHO) doctors currently on board reported that all remaining passengers and crew are asymptomatic. Only those requiring immediate medical attention will stay in Tenerife; the rest will be transferred directly to the airport.
The operation has sparked political friction. President Clavijo expressed his disagreement with the decision to bring the ship to the Canaries, arguing that passengers should have been repatriated from Cape Verde rather than spending four more days at sea. “Spain had no legal obligation to host the ship,” Clavijo noted, though he conceded that the national government has the final authority in matters of health security.
Background of the Outbreak
The MV Hondius was traveling from Ushuaia, Argentina, to the Canary Islands when the illness was first reported. Hantaviruses are typically transmitted from rodents to humans and can cause severe respiratory distress. So far, the outbreak on the vessel has resulted in six suspected cases and three fatalities.
Earlier this week, two symptomatic crew members and one passenger were evacuated by air ambulance from Cape Verde to the Netherlands. The Spanish government maintains that Tenerife was chosen because it is the closest port with the sophisticated technical and public health infrastructure required to handle a viral emergency of this scale.
A decision regarding the ship’s future remains pending. Regional authorities have requested that the Dutch-flagged vessel depart for the Netherlands for disinfection immediately after the passengers are removed, provided the crew remains healthy.
Image: Pexels – Glenn Langhorst
