Cruise ship stricken by hantavirus reaches Canary Islands before planned evacuations
Summary
A cruise ship with nearly 150 people, including 17 Americans, arrived in Spain’s Canary Islands after a hantavirus outbreak on board. Health officials are evacuating passengers and crew for medical checks and safe return home. Three deaths have been linked to the outbreak, and the cause is still being investigated.Key Facts
- The cruise ship MV Hondius, flagged in the Netherlands, docked in Granadilla, Tenerife, in the Canary Islands.
- There are about 150 people on board from over 15 countries, including 17 Americans.
- At least nine cases of hantavirus are confirmed or suspected, with three deaths (two Dutch and one German).
- None of those still on board have shown symptoms so far.
- Passengers and most crew will be evacuated by small boats and taken for health monitoring.
- The U.S. CDC and Department of Health sent a plane and medical team to bring the Americans home for quarantine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
- Hantavirus spreads from rodents via urine or droppings; only the Andes strain spreads between people but requires close contact.
- The outbreak source is unknown, but the deceased Dutch couple had traveled in South America in areas where the virus is common.
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