Cruise Ship Stricken with Hantavirus Outbreak Arrives in Tenerife Island

A cruise ship carrying passengers infected with hantavirus has arrived in Tenerife, Canary Islands. The vessel, Hondius, had been stranded at sea for weeks before anchoring in the port of Granadilla de Abona. Spanish nationals were among the first to disembark and were flown to Madrid for quarantine.

Following the Spaniards, a series of flights departed carrying passengers from various countries, including Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Turkey, France, Britain, and the United States. In France, five returning passengers developed symptoms during their repatriation flight and were transferred to Bichat hospital in Paris for treatment.

The cruise ship had reported three deaths among its passengers since it left South America on April 1. Hantavirus is typically spread by rodents, but in rare cases, it can be transmitted person-to-person. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 10,000 to 100,000 hantavirus infections annually.

Spanish health authorities have listed 13 Spanish passengers and one crew member on board the vessel. Passengers from these countries were flown home on military and government aircraft. In Australia, a flight carrying passengers from Australia, New Zealand, and several Asian countries is scheduled to depart tomorrow afternoon.

The WHO has coordinated with Spain’s health, interior, and territorial policy ministers to manage the evacuation of its passengers. The organization has assured that the risk from the ship is low, stating that while everyone on board would be classified as a high-risk contact, the risk to the general public remains low.

Source: Al Jazeera