Cruise Ship Passengers Evacuated After Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak Near Tenerife

Passengers are being evacuated from a cruise ship near Tenerife in Spain after a hantavirus outbreak that killed three people. Final repatriation flights are underway as health agencies continue monitoring the situation.

Final evacuation flights for passengers aboard a cruise ship affected by a deadly hantavirus outbreak near Tenerife in Spain are set to depart on Monday afternoon, as health authorities continue a coordinated international response to contain the rare and dangerous infection.
Spain’s Health Minister, Monica García, confirmed that 94 passengers have already been evacuated from the vessel following the confirmation of multiple infections and fatalities linked to the outbreak. She said the remaining passengers are being moved in two final organised repatriation flights, marking the last phase of emergency evacuations from the ship.
According to officials and local media reports, one evacuation flight arranged by Australia will carry six passengers, while a separate Dutch-organised flight will transport 18 people. The Dutch flight will also include travellers from other countries that did not arrange their own evacuation logistics, ensuring that all remaining passengers are safely repatriated.
The evacuation process began on Sunday with 14 Spanish nationals disembarking first. They were transported by a military aircraft to Madrid, where they were immediately taken to a military hospital for quarantine, medical observation, and testing. Authorities emphasised that strict containment protocols were in place to prevent any potential spread of the virus during transit and arrival.
The response has drawn political attention in Spain, with Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo reportedly raising concerns about the handling of the situation. However, Spanish national health authorities rejected fears that infected rodents could escape the ship and reach land, stating that the possibility of a rodent capable of swimming from the vessel to the Canary Islands was effectively “zero.”
The outbreak has been linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus, a rare but serious disease typically transmitted through contact with infected rodents or exposure to their droppings. This particular strain is unusual because it is the only known variant capable of human-to-human transmission, usually through close and prolonged contact between infected individuals.
International health bodies have been closely monitoring the situation. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that the outbreak has resulted in five confirmed infections, including three deaths. Investigations are ongoing to determine how the virus spread aboard the cruise ship and whether initial infections were imported or occurred during the voyage.
Reports indicate that two of the deceased passengers had travelled through Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay before boarding the cruise, raising concerns that the infection may have originated or been contracted earlier in their travel route before spreading onboard.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified the situation as a Level 3 emergency response, which is its lowest emergency activation category but still indicates a serious public health event requiring active monitoring and coordination. The CDC, along with other international health agencies, has begun tracking passengers who left the ship before the outbreak was officially identified, in order to detect any further cases during the incubation period.
Health experts note that hantavirus can have an incubation period of up to six weeks, meaning passengers exposed may not show symptoms immediately. As a result, individuals who disembarked earlier are being monitored across multiple countries, including the United States and several European nations.
Authorities have confirmed that surveillance and quarantine measures will continue even after the final evacuation flights depart, as investigators work to determine the source of the outbreak, trace transmission chains, and ensure that no additional cases emerge in the wider population.