Dutch cruise ship with hantavirus outbreak arrived in port on Tenerife

©picture alliance / Anadolu | Andres Gutierrez

The Dutch ship has since docked in the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, after which authorities are holding a controlled evacuation and repatriation of passengers on Sunday and Monday.

An outbreak of acute respiratory syndrome has been detected on the cruise ship in the Atlantic, possibly due to hantavirus. Three passengers have since died, including a Dutch couple and a Briton.

Several confirmed hantavirus infections have since been reported, including several deaths, and the virus is being investigated as a rare Andean variant with a relatively high mortality rate. In all, there are eight suspected infections, six of which have already been identified. Sick passengers have already been evacuated from the ship, so Spanish authorities are taking absolutely no chances with those remaining on board.

Strict safety protocol

Spanish health authorities boarded the Dutch cruise ship Hondius Sunday morning. You can see that in the photo accompanying this article. Passengers will be examined and tested for hantavirus before being evacuated from the ship later. Passengers are being disembarked one by one.

None of the remaining 147 passengers now have symptoms of the hantavirus. Nevertheless, all those on board are being treated by Spanish authorities as high-risk contacts just to be on the safe side.

Passengers who test negative for hantavirus will be taken ashore by small boats and bused to the airport. There they will board flights to their home countries.

As planned, Spaniards will disembark first, followed by passengers from the Netherlands, whose plane will also carry passengers from Germany, Belgium and Greece. After that, passengers from Turkey, France, Britain and the United States will be evacuated. A total of 147 people on board are on the MV Hondius. If all goes as planned, the last plane will leave for Australia Monday afternoon, according to Spain's health minister. Also, according to the minister, an additional plane will be sent by the Netherlands on Monday to take those who could not join us today.

©picture alliance / Anadolu | Andres Gutierrez