Spanish nationals from the virus-hit MV Hondius have begun quarantine after evacuation in Tenerife.
The first passengers evacuated from the hantavirus-affected MV Hondius have arrived in Madrid after leaving the cruise ship anchored near Tenerife.
Fourteen Spanish nationals were flown from Tenerife on a chartered aircraft and transferred to a military hospital in Madrid, where they will undergo mandatory quarantine. Health officials confirmed that all passengers currently remain asymptomatic.
Before boarding the plane, evacuation teams dressed passengers in white hazmat suits and disinfected them on the airport tarmac as part of strict safety protocols. Authorities are evacuating passengers in groups based on nationality, with French, Dutch, German and British nationals expected to follow.
The evacuation operation began after the ship arrived near Tenerife following a hantavirus outbreak linked to the rare Andes strain of the virus. Three passengers have died since the outbreak began during the expedition cruise.
World Health Organization officials overseeing the operation said the public health risk remains low, although passengers may need to isolate for up to 42 days due to the virus’s long incubation period.
Spanish authorities deployed military police, medical teams and infectious disease specialists as the ship remained offshore under tight security measures.
The outbreak has been linked to a landfill site in southern Argentina visited earlier during the cruise, where rodents believed to carry the virus were present.
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