Hantavirus-hit cruise ship heads for Canary Islands after three passengers evacuated

The MV Hondius is heading to the Canary Islands after the cruise ship recorded a hantavirus outbreak. Three passengers showing symptoms had earlier been evacuated to the Netherlands; one of them is a British man, authorities confirmed.

The ship altered course after onboard medical staff identified symptoms consistent with the Andes strain of hantavirus. After coordination between national authorities, the Canary Islands became the diversion destination because of their larger hospital capacity. Around 250 passengers were screened for symptoms during the voyage.

The Dutch Ministry of Health said the three evacuated passengers had been admitted to a biocontainment facility and were stable. The ministry said two of the patients had tested positive for hantavirus, while a third was still being analysed. None had yet been discharged from intensive care.

The cruise operator said all remaining passengers and crew were under observation, that pest-control procedures had been refreshed, and that additional medical staff had been embarked during the Atlantic crossing. The official port of arrival has been changed to Tenerife.

The World Health Organization had earlier reported three deaths over the course of the voyage. Two confirmed cases on board are believed to have come from human-to-human transmission, which is rare for the Andes strain. The organisation called the event "infrequent" but worth tracking.

Local public-health authorities in the Canary Islands have prepared a docking protocol. The port coordinator said the ship would be directed to a controlled berth at Santa Cruz de Tenerife on arrival, with passengers being processed in phased stages over several days under medical supervision.

In the British case specifically, the UK Health Security Agency said it was providing support to the family and to local Spanish authorities. A UKHSA spokesperson told the BBC the affected individual was being "closely monitored." The case has been logged within the UK's national notification system as the country's first imported hantavirus case linked to MV Hondius.

Observation of other passengers is being supported by contact mapping based on the ship's prior itinerary. Medical experts are examining whether any onboard rodent exposure occurred when the ship was anchored along the South American coast, where the Andes strain's natural rodent host is found.

Coastal and port authorities in nearby countries have taken extra steps to minimise indirect contact during the ship's passage. The vessel did not call into shore for fuel or supplies; all medical supplies bound for the Canary Islands were transferred at sea via tender.

The case has reignited debate about cruise-industry health-inspection policies in Europe. The sector's trade body said updated norovirus protocols from 2024 did not cover hantavirus, and that work with international partners on a revised protocol was now under way.