Spanish authorities prepare for hantavirus cruise ship arrival
AP News • • health
Key Points:
- Spanish authorities are preparing to receive over 140 passengers and crew from the hantavirus-affected cruise ship MV Hondius, arriving Sunday in Tenerife, Canary Islands, with plans for isolated and controlled evacuations.
- The outbreak has caused three deaths and infected at least five passengers, but no symptomatic cases are currently reported on the ship; the World Health Organization (WHO) considers the public risk low.
- Contact tracing is underway globally for passengers who disembarked before the outbreak was detected, with health officials in multiple countries monitoring potential cases and exposures.
- The U.S. and U.K. are arranging repatriation flights for their citizens aboard the ship, with American passengers to be quarantined at a specialized facility in Nebraska, and British nationals to be evacuated by chartered plane.
- Passengers on the ship express concern about social stigma upon return, while authorities emphasize strict isolation protocols to prevent virus spread and reassure the public.
