Hantavirus Outbreak on MV Hondius: Three Dead, Ship Docks in Tenerife Amid Regional Opposition
Where things stand
Updated May 6, 10:03 PMThree people have died from hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius, anchored off Cape Verde. The Andes strain has been confirmed in eight cases with five suspected. The ship is expected to depart for a three-day voyage to the Canary Islands, where the regional government opposes docking. Spain has granted permission, but Canary Islands leader Fernando Clavijo says the decision lacks technical basis and sufficient safety information. Three evacuees are en route to the Netherlands for treatment. The UK Foreign Office is working to repatriate 19 Britons aboard; one British patient remains in intensive care in South Africa. About 150 passengers and crew are confined to cabins during disinfection. The overall public health risk remains low.
Open questions
- Where did the hantavirus exposure occur?
- Will the Canary Islands government allow passengers to disembark?
- What is the current health status of the remaining confirmed and suspected cases on board?
- How many people beyond the ship may have been exposed, and are contact tracing efforts underway?
- When will the MV Hondius depart for the Canary Islands?
Key actors
What's corroborated
Three people have died aboard the Dutch ship MV Hondius, which is anchored off the coast of Cape Verde.
5 sourcesThe Foreign Office is working urgently to get British nationals stuck on a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak home safely.
4 sourcesacross 1 articleThe three evacuated are on their way for treatment in the Netherlands.
4 sourcesacross 1 articleThere have been eight cases of Hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius.
4 sourcesacross 1 articleA Dutch passenger died on board on April 11, and their wife died on April 27; both deaths are confirmed to be connected to hantavirus.
4 sources
Timeline13
WHO tracing 82 flight contacts of deceased Dutch passenger; outbreak total stands at 3 dead, 7 confirmed/suspected cases.
Passengers confined to cabins, reading and watching movies, as suspected hantavirus infections rise.
A British passenger evacuated from the MV Hondius speaks publicly about hantavirus exposure.
Canary Islands government reiterates opposition to MV Hondius docking, citing insufficient safety information.
Argentina reports a surge in hantavirus cases linked to climate change, providing context for the MV Hondius outbreak.
UK Foreign Office begins repatriation efforts for British nationals stranded on MV Hondius.
Dutch couple suspected to have contracted hantavirus from a rodent during birdwatching before boarding, per Aftonbladet.
Three dead, five suspected hantavirus cases on MV Hondius; Andes strain confirmed. Ship anchored off Cape Verde.
Three people, including a British crew member, evacuated from MV Hondius off Cape Verde; ship stranded.