The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday classified everyone on board a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak as “high-risk contacts” and ordered close monitoring for 42 days. The decision came as multiple countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, moved to evacuate their citizens from the vessel.
The ship, MV Hondius, carried more than 140 passengers and crew when health officials confirmed the outbreak. At least three deaths and several infections were reported among those on board, according to AP report. The ship later headed toward the Canary Islands as global health authorities coordinated emergency response measures.
Speaking during a social media briefing, WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove said the classification applied to all people on the ship, regardless of symptoms or exposure level. “We classify everybody on board as what we call a high-risk contact,” she said. She added that all passengers and crew required “active monitoring and follow-up for 42 days after disembarkation.”
However, WHO officials said the risk to the general public remained low, including for residents of the Canary Islands. They also said hantavirus does not spread easily between humans in most cases.
Which countries activated evacuation plans?
After the WHO advisory, several countries activated emergency evacuation plans. The United Kingdom confirmed that its citizens from the ship would first enter isolation in a hospital in northwest England before further monitoring. The United States and several European nations also arranged repatriation flights.
Spanish authorities said passengers would not disembark normally. Instead, they would undergo medical checks and testing before being moved under strict safety protocols. Officials said controlled transfers would reduce any risk of further transmission, reported AP.
The ship is expected to anchor near Tenerife, where emergency teams prepared to coordinate medical evacuations. Authorities also activated European health emergency mechanisms to support the process.
Is this outbreak a global concern?
WHO director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus earlier addressed concerns in Tenerife and urged calm among residents. He said the situation differed from COVID-19 and should not trigger panic. “This is not another COVID,” he said. “The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low,” he added.
Hantavirus normally spreads through contact with rodent droppings or urine. Human-to-human transmission remains rare, although experts said the strain linked to this outbreak may require closer study. Local health officials reported they would follow strict safety procedures during disembarkation, according to AP report.
Global health agencies also began tracking passengers who left the ship before the outbreak was confirmed. Authorities said these individuals travelled across multiple countries, which increased the complexity of monitoring efforts.
Public health experts said the outbreak showed how quickly diseases on cruise ships could cross borders and trigger international coordination. They also said early WHO classification helped limit wider spread.
What happens next for passengers and ship?
Passengers would remain under strict quarantine rules after evacuation. Those without symptoms would still be monitored for weeks. Medical evacuation plans were also placed on standby in case any passenger developed severe illness during transfer.
The ship would remain under the control of authorities, and some crew members and the body of a deceased passenger would stay onboard until final procedures were completed. The vessel would later undergo disinfection in Europe.
Officials said the coordinated international response aimed to prevent further spread while ensuring safe evacuation of all passengers.