Hantavirus Cruise Ship Evacuation Begins in Canary Islands
The BBC reported Sunday that the first passengers from a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship have landed in Madrid after being flown out of Tenerife. The hantavirus cruise ship evacuation marks a major milestone in one of the most complex public health operations in recent European memory.
Fourteen Spanish nationals were aboard the chartered flight. Upon arrival, all passengers face mandatory quarantine at a military hospital in the capital.
Hazmat Suits on the Tarmac
Before boarding in Tenerife, evacuation staff dressed passengers in white hazmat suits. Workers then hosed them down directly on the airport tarmac before allowing them to board. French nationals were expected to follow as the second group to depart the island.
Spain’s Health Minister Mónica García confirmed the operation was proceeding normally. She added that all passengers still aboard the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius remained asymptomatic at time of reporting. García also stressed that the risk to the broader Spanish population was low. She warned against panic, saying misinformation runs counter to basic public health principles.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus traveled to Tenerife personally to oversee the disembarkation. He described proceedings as going very well. Tedros acknowledged public anxiety was understandable given the collective trauma of Covid-19. He urged Spaniards to trust the professionals managing the response.
Background: A Month-Long Outbreak at Sea
The MV Hondius sailed into the port of Granadilla before dawn on Sunday. The ship had been at sea for nearly a month since the outbreak first claimed a passenger’s life. Three people in total have died during the outbreak. Military police boats patrolled a one-nautical-mile security perimeter around the vessel as it approached shore.
The Andes strain of hantavirus at the center of the outbreak has been linked to a landfill site at the southern tip of Argentina. Rodents carry the virus in that region, and human-to-human transmission is rare but not impossible.
Long Quarantine Ahead for Passengers
The virus carries an incubation period of up to nine weeks. The WHO has recommended a 42-day quarantine period measured from each passenger’s last possible exposure. British passengers will first enter a dedicated isolation facility for up to 72 hours. Medics will then assess whether home isolation is suitable. Flights for Dutch, Greek, German and crew members were also expected Sunday. An Australian evacuation flight is scheduled to depart Monday.
At Tenerife’s Candelaria hospital, intensive care specialist Mar Martin told the BBC her team was fully prepared. She noted that while hantavirus is unfamiliar locally, managing a viral illness with complications falls within her unit’s daily expertise.
