World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has reassured the public that the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius does not pose a major public health threat, emphasizing that the risk to the general population remains low.
“This is not another COVID. The risk to the public is low, so people should not panic,” Tedros said as evacuation operations continued in Tenerife, Spain’s Canary Islands.
Passengers from more than 20 countries began returning home after the ship docked in Tenerife, where authorities implemented strict but precautionary health measures. Spanish passengers were flown to Madrid for monitoring, while French nationals arrived in Paris and were immediately placed under medical observation after one traveler developed symptoms during the flight.
Related Stories
Health officials confirmed that none of the more than 140 passengers still aboard the vessel showed symptoms when evacuations started, despite three deaths linked to earlier cases and several infections among passengers who had disembarked previously.
Medical teams wearing protective gear escorted travelers off the ship, a step authorities said was intended to minimise risk rather than respond to widespread transmission.
Experts note that hantavirus is usually spread through contact with contaminated rodent droppings and rarely passes between people. The strain identified in this outbreak — the Andes virus — can transmit between humans in uncommon cases, prompting close monitoring of passengers.
Countries receiving evacuees are conducting daily health checks during the virus’s incubation period, which can last up to eight weeks. The ship will sail to Rotterdam in the Netherlands for disinfection once evacuations are completed.
Health authorities continue to stress that vigilance is necessary, but the outbreak remains contained and the broader public faces minimal risk.
Leave Comments