Spanish Passengers Evacuated From Cruise Ship Hit by Deadly Virus

MADRID — The first group of Spanish nationals has been evacuated from a Dutch cruise ship where a hantavirus outbreak turned deadly, Spanish health officials confirmed Friday. Fourteen passengers who tested negative for symptoms were cleared by epidemiologists and began disembarking the MV Hondius off the coast of Tenerife. They will be transported to Madrid’s Gómez Ulla military hospital for quarantine and medical observation.

The MV Hondius, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde, became the center of a health emergency after the World Health Organization confirmed seven cases of the potentially fatal hantavirus. Three people have died. The ship diverted to the Canary Islands following a stop in Cape Verde, where passengers showing symptoms were evacuated earlier.

Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said the vessel anchored safely near Tenerife on Thursday. A joint team of Spanish medical staff, WHO officials, European disease control experts, and Dutch authorities boarded the ship to assess all passengers. García stressed that the risk to the general public remains low.

The outbreak has raised questions about cruise ship health protocols and the challenges of containing rare viruses during long voyages. For now, authorities are focused on monitoring the evacuated passengers and ensuring the virus does not spread beyond the ship.