A cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak is expected to dock in Tenerife in the coming days, prompting concern among some residents and businesses in the Canary Islands as international health authorities race to trace passengers who left the vessel before the virus was confirmed.
The MV Hondius, operated by Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions, has been at the centre of global health alerts after three people who had travelled on the ship died and several others fell ill. The World Health Organization said five confirmed infections have been identified among people connected to the vessel, with additional suspected cases under observation.
The outbreak involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare form that can, unlike most hantaviruses, spread between humans through close contact. Hantavirus is usually transmitted through exposure to infected rodents’ urine, droppings or saliva and can cause severe respiratory illness, cardiac distress and, in some cases, haemorrhagic fever. There is no approved vaccine or specific cure, and treatment focuses on managing symptoms.
Spanish authorities have approved the ship’s arrival in the Canary Islands for medical assessment, containment measures and the organized return of passengers and crew. Health officials said those remaining on board are not showing symptoms, while previously exposed passengers are being traced or monitored in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa and others.
In Tenerife, reactions have ranged from anxiety to cautious acceptance. Some locals said memories of the Covid-19 pandemic had heightened fears about allowing the vessel to dock. Others, particularly in the tourism sector, described the arrival as unwelcome but expressed confidence that authorities would handle it as a controlled health operation rather than a wider public threat.
The WHO has sought to calm public concern, saying the overall risk remains low and that the outbreak is not comparable to Covid-19. Experts say human-to-human transmission of Andes hantavirus is possible but generally limited to close contacts, making broad community spread unlikely if isolation and monitoring measures are followed.
Investigators believe the virus may have been contracted before or early in the voyage, which began in Ushuaia, Argentina, before the ship crossed the Atlantic. Authorities are now working to determine how the virus entered the travel group and whether any additional passengers were exposed before the outbreak was identified.
