WHO chief due in Canaries to coordinate hantavirus ship evacuation

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Spanish authorities are preparing for a high-stakes medical evacuation on the island of Tenerife this weekend, following a deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is scheduled to arrive Saturday to oversee the coordination of health protocols as the vessel, currently carrying approximately 150 people, approaches the Canary Islands.

The outbreak has already claimed the lives of three passengers—a Dutch couple and a German woman—and sickened several others. International concern has intensified following confirmation that the infections involve the Andes virus, the only known strain of hantavirus capable of person-to-person transmission. Despite this, the WHO has attempted to calm public fears, stating that the risk to the general population remains "absolutely low" due to the virus's relatively low level of contagiousness.

The evacuation plan is designed to bypass standard docking procedures to minimize local contact. The ship will anchor off the coast of Tenerife on Sunday, where passengers will be ferried to shore on smaller vessels and transported directly to the airport for specialized repatriation flights to the United States, Britain, and other home countries. This operation faces a tight window, as local officials warn that deteriorating weather conditions early next week could complicate the transfer.

While the ship was held at Cape Verde earlier this month, the situation on board has reportedly stabilized. Passengers, who are practicing social distancing and wearing masks, expressed relief after European and WHO health experts boarded the vessel to conduct risk assessments. However, the arrival has met local resistance; dock workers in Tenerife staged protests on Friday, reflecting anxiety over the rare disease reaching the island.

The reach of the outbreak is still being mapped by global health officials. While a KLM flight attendant who interacted with an infected passenger tested negative, authorities are still monitoring individuals in Spain and South Africa who were on the same flight as one of the deceased. Additionally, British health officials are investigating a suspected case on Tristan da Cunha, one of the world’s most remote islands, which the MV Hondius visited during its journey across the South Atlantic.