The World Health Organisation (WHO) has moved to reassure residents of Tenerife who are "worried" about the arrival of a cruise ship affected by hantavirus. The MV Hondius is set to dock on the island on Sunday, carrying 22 British passengers and crew members.
WHO Confirms Cases and Provides Reassurance
The UN agency confirmed six cases of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius, with four patients currently hospitalised. In total, eight cases have been reported, including three deaths. One suspected case was reclassified after testing negative for the virus.
Officials from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Foreign Office will greet the ship when it arrives in Spain's Canary Islands. British nationals on board will be tested for hantavirus before disembarkation. Those who test negative and show no symptoms will be taken directly to a dedicated repatriation flight staffed by medical professionals.
Upon returning to the UK, British passengers will be required to self-isolate for 45 days and will not be permitted to use public transport to reach their homes.
WHO Director-General Addresses Residents
In a letter addressed to the people of Tenerife, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged that residents were "worried." He emphasised that while the virus is "serious," the outbreak is "not another Covid" and the current public health risk from hantavirus remains low.
Dr Tedros outlined the careful plan prepared by Spanish authorities: passengers will be ferried ashore at the industrial port of Granadilla, far from residential areas, in sealed, guarded vehicles, through a completely cordoned-off corridor, and repatriated directly to their home countries. He assured residents, "You will not encounter them. Your families will not encounter them."
He added, "Nearly 150 people from 23 countries have been at sea for weeks, some of them grieving, all of them frightened, all of them longing for home. Tenerife has been chosen because it has the medical capacity, the infrastructure, and the humanity to help them reach safety."
British Passengers and Crew Details
Two British men are currently receiving treatment for hantavirus in the Netherlands and Johannesburg, South Africa. A third British man with symptoms is being cared for on the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha. The Foreign Office confirmed that 30 passengers and crew from the MV Hondius are British, with 22 still on board the vessel.
The outbreak has been linked to a birdwatching expedition in Argentina that two of the passengers attended before boarding the ship.
