The "MV Hondius" cruise ship, on which a hantavirus infection was recorded, has arrived at Tenerife Island (Canary Islands), Spain.
This was reported by the "VesselFinder" ship movement portal.
It is likely that passengers will remain on the ship until repatriation flights are carried out. Spain's Ministry of Defense will transfer 14 Spanish citizens on board from the Canary Islands to a hospital in Madrid, where they will be kept in quarantine. It is expected that these individuals will be the first to leave the ship.
The Spanish government has prepared a special protocol for the evacuation of people on the liner. Officials emphasized that the arrival of the "MV Hondius" ship off the coast of the Canary Islands poses no risk to the local population. After the evacuation process is completed, it is planned that the ship, with a crew of about 30 remaining on board, will set sail to the Netherlands for disinfection.
In total, hantavirus was detected in eight people on the ship. Three passengers have died, and one ill person is receiving treatment in critical condition at a hospital in South Africa. Passengers have been instructed to stay in their cabins to prevent further spread of the infection. However, since the incubation period of hantavirus can last several weeks, it becomes challenging to promptly detect new infections.
The liner, which departed in April from Ushuaia, Argentina, carries nearly 150 people, mainly citizens of the USA, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Netherlands./oxu.az