WHO Chief Travels to Tenerife to Oversee Hantavirus Cruise Ship Evacuation
May 2026 | By Azad News
The head of the World Health Organisation is expected to arrive in Tenerife to help coordinate emergency measures linked to a hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius.
Health officials confirmed that multiple passengers became infected during the voyage, while several deaths linked to the virus have also been reported.
Authorities said the Dutch-flagged vessel, carrying around 150 people, is expected to reach the Canary Islands where evacuation and quarantine procedures will begin.
According to international health officials, the Andes strain of hantavirus — known for limited human-to-human transmission — was identified among confirmed cases.
Spain’s health and interior ministries are coordinating with the WHO to implement surveillance, screening, and passenger transfer protocols once the ship arrives.
Special arrangements are being prepared to return passengers to their home countries while maintaining health monitoring and isolation measures where required.
The WHO stated that the overall risk to the public remains low, adding that the virus does not spread easily between people under normal conditions.
Several countries are also monitoring individuals who may have had contact with infected passengers during earlier travel stages linked to the cruise.
Passengers onboard have reportedly been following precautionary measures, including wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing while awaiting evacuation.
Conclusion
International health authorities continue to closely monitor the hantavirus outbreak as emergency coordination efforts focus on safe evacuation, containment, and preventing further spread of the virus.
This article is a rewritten summary based on publicly available information. It has been fully paraphrased for informational purposes only and does not reproduce any original copyrighted text.
