Hantavirus Cruise Evacuation: Americans Airlifted from Outbreak Ship

The United States government is coordinating a specialized repatriation effort to safely evacuate 17 American citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship, which is currently dealing with a hantavirus outbreak. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Health and Human Services are involved in this operation in conjunction with Spanish officials.

The MV Hondius is en route to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of Africa, and is expected to reach Tenerife early Sunday. Due to restrictions, the ship will anchor offshore rather than dock. Passengers will disembark in small, controlled groups, moving directly to a waiting plane to minimize any risk of virus transmission.

As of Friday, all 147 people on board were reported asymptomatic by the World Health Organization and Spanish officials. However, nine cases of hantavirus, including three fatalities, have been confirmed or suspected, stemming from earlier travel by some passengers in South America. The WHO is providing health assessments to guide passengers on necessary next steps.

The ship, flying a Dutch flag, will depart the Canary Islands for the Netherlands with a minimal crew. Health authorities have emphasized that the risk of the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only one transmissible between humans, spreading globally remains very low.