Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak Evacuation Completed, WHO: Work Not Over Yet

Following a fatal hantavirus outbreak on the luxury cruise ship 'MV Hondius,' World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that while the evacuation of personnel from the ship is complete, the work to contain the virus is 'not over yet.' While emphasizing a low global public health risk, he noted the possibility of further cases due to the long incubation period.
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  • 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 21:19
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Central News Agency

(Central News Agency, Madrid 12th, comprehensive foreign reports) Following a fatal hantavirus outbreak on the luxury cruise ship 'MV Hondius,' World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that after the evacuation of personnel from the ship, the work to contain the outbreak is 'not over yet.'

Agence France-Presse reported that the fate of the Hondius cruise ship has drawn international attention after the outbreak caused the deaths of three passengers, as there is currently no vaccine or special treatment for this rare virus.

However, health officials emphasized that the global public health risk is currently low and rejected comparisons of this outbreak to the early stages of the COVID-19 (2019 novel coronavirus disease) pandemic.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, after overseeing the evacuation of the cruise ship in the Canary Islands, Spain, held a press conference today in the Spanish capital Madrid with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Tedros stated: 'We don't see any signs that this is the beginning of a larger outbreak. ...But of course, the situation can change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, more cases may be found in the coming weeks.'

He was referring to the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can be transmitted from person to person.

According to data compiled by Agence France-Presse from official sources, there are currently 7 confirmed cases among living patients, and an 8th case is listed as a 'possible case.' These patients are either passengers or crew members of the cruise ship, with nationalities including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

After more than 120 passengers and crew were evacuated from the Hondius on the 10th and 11th from the Canary Islands, various countries adopted different health measures for the evacuees, but most followed WHO guidelines, including a 42-day quarantine observation period for high-risk contacts, as the incubation period can be up to six weeks.

WHO stated yesterday that hantavirus is most contagious when symptoms first appear.

The Spanish Ministry of Health stated today that a Spanish male evacuated from the cruise ship tested positive for hantavirus and has begun to show symptoms. (Compiler: Yang Zhao-yan) 1150512

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