Deadly Virus Outbreak on Cruise Ship Prompts Emergency Diversion to Spain’s Canary Islands

Spain has agreed to let a luxury cruise ship anchor in the Canary Islands after a rare and deadly hantavirus outbreak stranded the vessel off the coast of West Africa. The MV Hondius, carrying 147 passengers and crew, had been waiting for permission to dock in Cape Verde, but local authorities said they couldn’t handle the medical crisis.

Spain’s Ministry of Health announced late Tuesday that the World Health Organization confirmed Cape Verde lacked the resources to manage the situation. “The Canary Islands are the closest location with the necessary capabilities,” the ministry said. “Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are also several Spanish citizens.”

The outbreak has already claimed three lives: a Dutch couple and a German national. A British passenger is in intensive care in South Africa after being evacuated. The ship’s doctor, a Dutch national in critical condition, is being flown out via a medical flight arranged at the Dutch government’s request. Two crew members also need urgent care, and one other person aboard has a mild fever.

The ship will sail to either Gran Canaria or Tenerife, a three-day journey, after medical evacuations are completed. Once there, everyone will be examined, treated, and sent home, with special facilities and vehicles used to prevent any contact with locals. The WHO suspects some human-to-human transmission may have occurred among close contacts, like couples sharing cabins, but says the risk to the public remains low.

The Hondius departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, visiting Antarctica and remote islands before heading to Cape Verde. The voyage was marketed as an Antarctic nature expedition, with fares ranging from $16,000 to $25,000. The WHO believes the Dutch couple may have been infected before boarding, and other cases could be linked to bird-watching trips where rodents live.