Passengers disembark MV Hondius in Canary Islands as repatriation flights begin.
Tenerife, Canary Islands – The MV Hondius, a cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak, has docked at Granadilla Port. Passengers have begun disembarking in a "carefully managed repatriation operation involving multiple nations," according to Spain's Ministry of Health.
==The ship arrived early Sunday morning carrying 146 people, following reports of three deaths and eight illnesses attributed to the virus.==
Multiple countries are deploying aircraft to evacuate their nationals. On Sunday, the first plane carrying 14 Spanish nationals departed for Madrid, where they will undergo quarantine at a military hospital. Flights for other nationalities, including Australian, Dutch, and Canadian passengers, are also in progress or scheduled.
Limited Health Screenings Amidst Repatriation
Spanish authorities have indicated that passengers will not undergo extensive health screenings upon arrival on land. Instead, health officials boarded the ship to conduct checks, including temperature readings and health surveys, prior to disembarkation. Medical teams were also present to run tests on passengers and crew before evacuation flights commenced. No PCR testing is being conducted on the ship.
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While some passengers and crew, along with the body of a deceased passenger, will remain on board for disinfection and onward travel to Rotterdam, the majority are being returned to their home countries. The cruise operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, states that no one currently on board is showing symptoms of hantavirus.
Background of the Outbreak
The outbreak's timeline traces back to April 1, when the MV Hondius departed Ushuaia with 175 passengers and crew. The first reported symptoms emerged on April 6, with the first death occurring on April 11. Initially, the death was attributed to unspecified natural causes. The body of the deceased Dutch man was disembarked on the remote island of St. Helena on April 24, along with his wife.
Hantavirus, specifically the Andes virus, can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a severe illness affecting the heart and breathing. While there is rare evidence of human-to-human transmission for this strain, health officials are also considering other explanations, such as rodents on the ship carrying the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that the initial infections may have occurred before passengers boarded the ship, possibly during travel in South America. The WHO has stated that the current public health risk from hantavirus remains low.
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