The World Health Organization and Spanish authorities are preparing a coordinated evacuation operation in Tenerife following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, which has resulted in multiple deaths and several confirmed infections. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is expected to arrive on the Spanish Canary Island on Saturday to oversee response efforts alongside Spain’s health and interior ministers, according to Spanish ministry sources.

The outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged vessel has heightened international concern after health officials confirmed the presence of the Andes virus strain, the only known hantavirus capable of spreading between humans. Three passengers — a Dutch husband and wife and a German woman — have died, while additional passengers and crew members have tested positive. The MV Hondius, carrying around 150 people, is expected to reach Tenerife on Sunday, where passengers will be evacuated and flown back to their home countries under special arrangements.

Despite the seriousness of the outbreak, WHO officials stressed that the risk to the broader public remains low. WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said the virus is not highly contagious and does not easily spread between people. He noted that some passengers sharing cabins with infected individuals had not contracted the disease, suggesting limited transmission aboard the ship. The WHO confirmed six positive cases out of eight initially suspected infections and stated that no additional suspected cases currently remain on board.

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Authorities are also investigating several possible exposure cases linked to international travel. A KLM flight attendant who had contact with an infected passenger later tested negative for hantavirus, easing concerns over possible spread during air travel. Spanish officials are monitoring a woman in eastern Spain who developed symptoms after sitting two rows behind one of the deceased passengers on a flight from Johannesburg to the Netherlands. She remains isolated in hospital while testing continues. Officials described the case as unlikely to result in transmission but said precautionary measures were necessary.

The MV Hondius departed Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1 for a transatlantic cruise toward Cape Verde before the outbreak emerged. Two infected crew members and another suspected patient were earlier evacuated from Cape Verde to the Netherlands for treatment and observation. Health experts from the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are now aboard the ship conducting risk assessments and assisting passengers. Travellers have reportedly been instructed to wear masks indoors and maintain social distancing while awaiting evacuation.

Spanish authorities have said the vessel will remain anchored offshore and will not dock directly in Tenerife. Passengers are expected to be transported to land via smaller boats before being transferred by bus to the airport for repatriation flights organized by several countries, including Britain and the United States. The evacuation is expected to conclude before worsening weather conditions arrive early next week. Meanwhile, concerns over the outbreak continue to grow internationally after British authorities reported a suspected case on the remote South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, one of the world’s most isolated communities.

Also Read: Two Indian Crew Members Onboard As MV Hondius Hantavirus Outbreak Claims Lives