Hantavirus-hit cruise ship arrives in Tenerife, medics inspect passengers
Photo: The cruise ship MV Hondius, which had an outbreak of hantavirus, arrived in Tenerife (Getty Images)
The cruise ship MV Hondius, where a deadly hantavirus outbreak occurred, arrived at the port of Tenerife on the morning of May 10. Spanish medics boarded the vessel to conduct a final inspection before passengers began disembarking, according to Reuters and Sky News.
According to Spanish officials, passengers who showed no signs of infection are being tested by Spanish medics to ensure they have no symptoms, after which they will be taken ashore on small boats.
Buses will then transport the passengers to the main airport of the Spanish island, where they will board flights to their home countries.
According to media reports, the vessel has already been inspected by specialized experts after arriving at the port.
The inspection found no rodents on board, which had previously raised concerns over the liner’s sanitary safety.
After the medical checks are completed, authorities are expected to begin the organized disembarkation of passengers shortly.
Hantavirus outbreak
The cruise ship MV Hondius was forced to stop off the coast of Cape Verde due to a hantavirus outbreak that has already killed at least three people.
According to media reports, one laboratory-confirmed case of the infection has been identified on board, while five more people are considered suspected cases.
The cruise began on March 20 in Argentina and was scheduled to end on May 4. At the time of the incident, around 150 passengers were on board.
The first person to fall ill and die was a 70-year-old Dutch citizen. Later, his 69-year-old wife also died in a hospital in Johannesburg while preparations were being made for evacuation. The third victim, also a Dutch citizen, remains on board the vessel.
There are five Ukrainian citizens among the crew. No signs of illness have been detected in them.
14 Spanish citizens who traveled on the ship and may have been exposed to hantavirus were ordered to undergo mandatory isolation. The decision was made by a court in Madrid at the government’s request.
After several days anchored off Cape Verde, the liner headed to Spain’s Canary Islands. Following the ship’s arrival, all passengers and crew members are undergoing medical examinations.
All passengers on the liner where the deadly hantavirus outbreak occurred are considered to have been in contact with infected individuals.
Media reports said that dozens of potentially infected passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship had already returned to their home countries before the hantavirus outbreak was detected. They were not examined by doctors.
