Tenerife, May 10, 2026 — Spanish authorities have begun evacuating passengers from the virus-stricken cruise ship MS Hondius anchored off Tenerife in the Canary Islands after a deadly outbreak of the rare Andes strain of hantavirus claimed three lives during the voyage.
The large-scale emergency operation, described by Spanish Health Minister Mónica García as “unprecedented,” involves more than 100 passengers and crew being transferred to shore in phases according to nationality before being flown back to their home countries on chartered flights.
Passengers wearing white protective hazmat suits and face masks were seen being disinfected on airport tarmacs before boarding evacuation flights. Spanish nationals were the first to disembark, followed by Dutch, Greek, German and other international passengers. Additional evacuation flights are scheduled for the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.
Medical teams boarded the MS Hondius early Sunday morning to examine passengers for symptoms of the virus. Spanish officials confirmed that all remaining passengers were still asymptomatic at the time of evacuation.
The cruise ship arrived near Tenerife after weeks at sea following multiple hantavirus-related deaths linked to the voyage. The outbreak is believed to have originated near a landfill site in southern Argentina, where rodents carrying the virus are common.
Authorities in Tenerife enforced a strict one-nautical-mile security perimeter around the vessel as it approached the island. Intensive care specialists and isolation units have also been placed on standby at hospitals in Tenerife in case any evacuees develop severe symptoms during transfer.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who travelled to Tenerife to oversee the operation, praised Spain’s handling of the crisis and urged the public not to panic. He stressed that the risk of wider transmission remains low because hantavirus rarely spreads between humans.
The evacuation sparked concern among some residents and port workers in the Canary Islands, with protests demanding stronger safety measures. Regional officials initially resisted allowing the ship to dock, fearing possible contamination, before Spain’s central government intervened to proceed with the operation.
Passengers returning to Spain are expected to undergo mandatory quarantine, with health authorities monitoring them closely during the virus’s incubation period, which can last up to nine weeks.
The MS Hondius will later return to the Netherlands with a reduced crew remaining onboard after the evacuation is completed.
