Passengers aboard the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius have officially begun disembarking in Spain’s Canary Islands, marking a major development in the international health scare that has already left three people dead and prompted quarantine operations across multiple countries.
Spanish health officials confirmed Sunday that evacuation efforts were “proceeding normally” as passengers were escorted off the Dutch-flagged vessel in small groups under strict biosecurity measures. Travelers wore face masks and protective coverings while hazmat-suited crews transported them directly to quarantine flights waiting at Tenerife Airport.
The operation comes after days of uncertainty aboard the ship, which had effectively been stranded at sea while governments and health agencies coordinated where passengers could safely disembark and quarantine.
The outbreak has drawn global attention because the Andes strain of hantavirus — believed to be responsible for the infections aboard the Hondius — is one of the only known hantavirus variants capable of human-to-human transmission. While officials continue emphasizing that the public risk remains low, the scale of the response reflects fears of potential wider spread if the outbreak is mishandled.
The World Health Organization, CDC, and multiple national governments have all deployed personnel to oversee the evacuation and repatriation process.
As previously reported by The Daily Wire, several Americans who may have been exposed to the virus had already returned to the United States before the outbreak was fully understood. Those passengers, located in Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Arizona, and California, are being monitored by state health officials after disembarking earlier during a stop on Saint Helena, the island famous for Napoleon Bonaparte’s second exile and death. Oceanwide Expeditions, the company operating the Hondius, previously confirmed it was attempting to track all passengers and crew who boarded or left the vessel since March 20.
At least nine confirmed or suspected cases have now been linked to the outbreak, including three fatalities. Officials believe the outbreak likely began after an elderly Dutch couple contracted the virus during travel in Argentina before boarding the cruise ship. The husband later died aboard the vessel, while his wife became seriously ill after leaving the ship and later died in South Africa. Another passenger, a German national, also died after developing symptoms.
Several additional suspected cases have since emerged across Europe and elsewhere, while dozens of former passengers scattered across multiple countries are now being monitored during the virus’ lengthy incubation period, which can last up to eight weeks.
The first evacuees Sunday included Spanish passengers, who were transported to Madrid for quarantine at a military hospital. Americans are expected to be flown to Nebraska for monitoring and isolation at a specialized biocontainment unit. British, French, Australian, Dutch, Canadian, and other foreign nationals are also being repatriated under varying quarantine protocols.
Despite the dramatic scenes unfolding in Tenerife, including security perimeters around the vessel, hazmat suits, respirators, and decontamination procedures, health officials insist the outbreak does not resemble another COVID-style pandemic threat.
Hantavirus is typically spread through prolonged contact with infected rodent droppings or saliva and is far less contagious than airborne viruses such as COVID-19. However, the Andes strain can spread through prolonged close human contact, making health authorities especially cautious. The virus primarily attacks the lungs and respiratory system, often causing severe breathing complications. Some strains carry mortality rates approaching 40% to 50%.
Officials say no passengers currently remaining aboard the Hondius are showing symptoms, though authorities caution that infections could still emerge in the coming weeks as quarantines continue worldwide.
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