Cruise ship passengers evacuated safely

The final passengers and crew from the MV Hondius, linked to a suspected hantavirus incident, completed a carefully managed disembarkation in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and were processed for repatriation under tight health measures. Spanish health teams oversaw a phased departure: four Australians, one Briton resident in Australia and a New Zealander were cleared to board a flight to Australia, while 19 crew members and three doctors who treated them were due to fly to the Netherlands; 26 crew will remain on board as the vessel sails to the Netherlands for disinfection and further inspection. Images from the port showed people leaving the ship in protective blue gowns and face masks before being taken away by bus.

Authorities stressed that the operation was precautionary and aimed to minimise any possible risk to the public. Individuals requiring further medical evaluation were transferred separately to health facilities, and isolation and screening procedures were applied to everyone disembarking. Laboratory testing and epidemiological investigations are ongoing to determine the precise nature and scope of the suspected infections and to confirm whether hantavirus is responsible for reported symptoms among those on board.

Hantaviruses are uncommon but can cause serious respiratory illness in certain strains and are typically associated with exposure to infected rodents or contaminated environments; human-to-human transmission is rare for most hantavirus types. The confined setting of a cruise ship, combined with international passenger movements, prompted authorities to maintain heightened vigilance and coordinated response measures involving port health authorities, emergency services and foreign ministries to manage repatriation and follow-up care.

The MV Hondius will continue to the Netherlands—its flag state—where it is scheduled for thorough disinfection and additional health inspections. Spanish officials indicated there is currently no evidence of broader community transmission linked to the vessel but said monitoring of disembarked passengers and crew will continue. The incident underlines the complexities of handling suspected infectious disease events on international ships, where rapid coordination across jurisdictions is required to protect public health while arranging safe return of travellers and ensuring vessels are sanitised before resuming operations.