WHO Confirms 3 Hantavirus Deaths on Hondius Cruise Ship
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed nine cases of hantavirus and three deaths linked to the cruise ship Hondius, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced Tuesday. Despite the fatalities, the WHO maintains that the risk to the general global population remains low.
Speaking at a press conference in Madrid alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Tedros noted that two additional “probable” cases are currently under investigation. While the long incubation period of the virus suggests more cases may arise in the coming weeks, the Director-General emphasized that all former passengers and crew are under strict medical surveillance.
“Nothing points to a larger outbreak,” Tedros said, explaining that those infected or suspected of carrying the virus have been isolated. “The numbers of suspected and confirmed cases have not changed significantly in recent weeks.”
International Cooperation Amid Crisis
The Hondius recently docked in the Canary Islands, where more than 120 people of 23 different nationalities disembarked for repatriation. This followed a period of quarantine in Cape Verde, which lacked the medical infrastructure to handle a full-scale evacuation. The WHO and the European Union subsequently requested Spain’s assistance, citing the Canaries as the nearest safe port.
Tedros praised the Spanish government’s intervention, stating, “Viruses know no borders, and the greatest immunity comes from solidarity.” He defended the decision to move passengers off the ship, calling the prospect of an extended shipboard quarantine “inhumane and even cruel.”
Prime Minister Sánchez echoed these sentiments, framing the mission as a “moral obligation.” “Why wouldn’t we protect our compatriots and those in need if it is in our hands to do so?” Sánchez asked, noting that 14 Spanish citizens were among those on board. “The world does not need more selfishness and fear; it needs supportive countries.”
The Path Forward and Health Risks
The operation was not without internal friction. The regional government of the Canary Islands initially opposed the docking in Tenerife, questioning why the ship—which sails under a Dutch flag—was not sent directly to the Netherlands or kept in Cape Verde.
The Hondius departed Tenerife late Monday for its final destination in Rotterdam, where the vessel will undergo a full disinfection. Only 27 people remain on board: 25 crew members and two WHO medical professionals.
All countries receiving repatriated passengers have been urged by the WHO to implement a 42-day quarantine. While hantaviruses are typically transmitted to humans from infected rodents, the specific strain identified on the vessel—the Andes hantavirus—is rare because it can be transmitted from person to person. However, officials insist that current isolation protocols are sufficient to prevent community spread.
Image: Pexels – Jan van der Wolf
