WHO head reassures island as hantavirus-hit ship nears
The head of the World Health Organization has sought to reassure residents of a Spanish island where passengers of a cruise ship infected with hantavirus are expected to be disembarked with a direct message that the virus is not another Covid-19 scenario.
The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius is heading for Spain’s Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa with more than 140 passengers and crew and is expected to arrive on the island of Tenerife early Sunday.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was due to travel to the island on Saturday to coordinate the disembarkation of passengers and some crew, along with Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.
In a message to the people of Tenerife, Tedros said, “I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word ‘epidemic’ and watch a ship sailing towards your shores, memories surface that none of us can fully put to rest. The pain of 2020 is still real and I am not ignoring it for a moment.” said Tedros in his message to the people of Tenerife.
“But you need to hear me clearly: This is not another Covid-19. The current public health risk of hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this clearly, and now I will tell you again,” Tedros said. he added.
The World Health Organization, Spanish authorities and cruise line Oceanwide Expeditions said no one on Hondius is currently showing symptoms of the virus.
Hantavirus can cause life-threatening illness.
It is usually spread when people breathe in contaminated residue of rodent feces and is not easily transmitted between people.
However, the Andean virus detected in the outbreak on the cruise ship can spread between people in rare cases.
Symptoms usually appear one to eight weeks after exposure.
To the people of Tenerife, My name is Tedros and I serve as Director-General of @WHO, the @UN agency responsible for global public health. It’s not very common for me to write directly to the people of a single community, but today I found it not only appropriate, but… pic.twitter.com/lx05ji4a79— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 9, 2026
Three people have died since the outbreak, and five passengers who left the ship tested positive for hantavirus.
Some in Tenerife say they are worried.
Some Spanish passengers on the cruise ship expressed concerns about stigma.
“I’m telling you, I don’t like it very much,” said resident Simon Vidal, 69.
“Anyone can say what they want. Why did they have to bring a boat here from another country? Why not from somewhere else, why bring them to the Canary Islands?”
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said passengers and some crew would land in Tenerife “under maximum security conditions”.
The ship will not dock but will remain at anchor.
Everyone disembarking the ship will be checked for symptoms and will not be removed from the ship until a flight is ready in Tenerife to fly them off the island, Garcia said at a news conference in Madrid.
There are people from more than 20 different countries on board.
Both the UK and the US agreed to send planes to repatriate their citizens.
UK passengers and staff will be taken to a hospital in northwest England for an initial isolation period after being repatriated, UK health officials said.
The ship, MV Hondius, is expected to anchor off the Spanish island of Tenerife early on Sunday and then the 22 British citizens on board will be sent back.
US citizens will be quarantined at a medical center in Nebraska.
All Spanish passengers will be transported to a medical facility and quarantined, Garcia said.
Oceanwide reported that there were 13 Spanish passengers and one Spanish crew member on board.
Garcia said those disembarking will leave their luggage behind and will be allowed to take only a small bag containing essential items, a phone, a charger and documents.
Some of the crew and the body of a passenger who died on the ship will remain on the ship and will sail to the Netherlands to be disinfected.
via Reuters
