Hantavirus cruise ship MV Hondius denied entry to Canary Islands

Plans for the MV Hondius cruise ship to dock in the Canary Islands have been rejected following a deadly hantavirus outbreak on board.

The vessel was initially expected to dock in Tenerife or Gran Canaria. However, the regional government firmly opposed the ship’s arrival, and the vessel is currently stranded in isolation near Cape Verde.

Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo stated that accepting the ship lacks technical criteria and sufficient information to guarantee public safety. Clavijo has requested an urgent meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to discuss the crisis.

This development comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) traces passengers from an April 25 Airlink flight between Saint Helena and Johannesburg. A Dutch woman on that flight, who had just dropped off her deceased husband’s body in Saint Helena, deteriorated during the journey and died upon arrival at a Johannesburg hospital, testing positive for hantavirus.

The couple’s family released a statement expressing their grief and a desire to bring them home in peace. The outbreak has claimed three lives so far.

Meanwhile, the Spanish health ministry stated that if the ship docks, all 150 passengers and crew will be examined, treated, and repatriated safely, using special facilities to protect the local population.

The 150 people trapped on board the Oceanwide Expeditions vessel include 23 British nationals. Among the sick is the ship’s doctor, described by passenger Ann Lane as a younger British man who had been treating everyone tirelessly before falling ill last week.

Spain’s health ministry is waiting for epidemiological data from the ship’s stop in Cape Verde before making a final docking decision.

Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed that specialized aircraft are en route to Cape Verde to medically evacuate two individuals needing urgent care, along with a companion of a passenger who died on May 2. These patients will be transferred to the Netherlands.

Once the medical evacuation is complete, the company plans to sail the MV Hondius to the Canary Islands on a three-day journey, pending ongoing discussions with relevant authorities.

What is hantavirus?

Hantaviruses are a family of viruses carried by rodents, with each strain associated with a specific host species. They spread when humans contact infected droppings, saliva, urine, or nesting materials, although such cases are very rare, and transmission from person to person is uncommon.

Infection can lead to two primary illnesses: one affecting the lungs, known as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), and the other affecting the kidneys, called Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS).

The illness’s incubation period typically ranges from two to four weeks, according to government data, but it can be as short as two days or as long as eight weeks.