Hantavirus-Hit Vessel Leaves Canary Islands With 150 Aboard as 8 Cases Kill 3
Updated
Updated · news.inbox.eu · May 12
Hantavirus-Hit Vessel Leaves Canary Islands With 150 Aboard as 8 Cases Kill 3
11 articles · Updated · news.inbox.eu · May 12
Eight infections have been confirmed on the vessel, including three deaths and one patient in critical condition, as the ship departed the Canary Islands on May 11 for the Netherlands.
A May 7 positive hantavirus test also triggered scrutiny onshore: healthcare workers were placed under a six-week quarantine after reports the clinic handling the case breached safety protocols.
The reported violations included processing infected blood under a simplified scheme and disposing of hazardous biological waste below international standards, raising concern about further spread.
About 150 people from the UK, Spain, the US and the Netherlands remain aboard, and hantavirus's incubation period of several weeks means new cases could emerge after the ship reaches port.
A rare hantavirus that spreads between people is on a cruise ship. How prepared are ports for its arrival?
As a deadly virus spreads at sea, could lax lab safety on land be the far greater threat?
Despite fines up to $156,259, why do healthcare facilities still violate critical biosafety protocols?
Global Response to the 2026 M/V Hondius Andes Hantavirus Outbreak: Timeline, Transmission, and Lessons for Future Preparedness
Overview
As of May 12, 2026, the M/V Hondius cruise ship, central to the Andes hantavirus outbreak, had 146 people from 23 countries on board as it arrived in Tenerife, Spain. These individuals were scheduled for medical assessment before returning home. The World Health Organization is working with officials in at least 12 countries to monitor citizens who disembarked earlier in Saint Helena, with health agencies in several U.S. states also tracking returning passengers. This coordinated response highlights the global effort to contain the outbreak and ensure that exposed individuals are identified and managed before further travel.