Live Update: Hantavirus Repatriation Ends Monday – 14 Spanish Passengers Fly to Netherlands & Australia

The international evacuation of passengers from the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius, which docked in Tenerife on Sunday after a deadly hantavirus outbreak, concluded on Monday, May 11, 2026, with flights repatriating dozens of passengers to the Netherlands, Australia and other countries. The ship, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, had been carrying passengers from 19 nationalities when it arrived in Granadilla Port, Tenerife, following a hantavirus outbreak that has already claimed three lives since the vessel departed Argentina last month.

By Monday, all Dutch passengers had been evacuated to Eindhoven Airport in the Netherlands, with a total of 26 people—including eight Dutch nationals and 18 others from countries such as India, Germany, Argentina, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Ukraine, Guatemala, the Philippines, and Montenegro—arriving on a Dutch government-chartered flight. Medical staff accompanied the passengers, and comprehensive safety measures, including medical examinations, were conducted before departure. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the passengers would quarantine at home for six weeks, with non-residents accommodated at designated quarantine locations.

Spanish health authorities had earlier reported that 94 passengers disembarked from the MV Hondius on Sunday, with all asymptomatic at the time of screening. However, one French passenger developed symptoms during a flight home, prompting the immediate isolation of all five evacuees on that flight. French authorities, in coordination with Spanish, Dutch, and EU health officials, organized a sanitary flight to repatriate the five French nationals to France. Upon arrival, they were placed in quarantine at a hospital in Île-de-France for 72 hours, followed by a 45-day isolation period at home, with regular medical monitoring.

Oceanwide Expeditions stated that the company continues to work closely with authorities to bring the medical situation to a conclusion. The cruise ship’s crew will be evacuated in a second flight from Tenerife to Eindhoven, scheduled for Monday, while some crew members will remain on board to bring the vessel to the Netherlands. The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized that the risk to the general public remains low, but the outbreak underscores the importance of vigilance and coordination among international health agencies.

Health officials have stressed that hantavirus, typically spread through exposure to infected rodents’ urine or feces, is not airborne and differs significantly from Covid-19 in terms of transmission and containment measures. The outbreak has highlighted the challenges of managing public health emergencies on international vessels and the need for rapid, coordinated responses to prevent further spread.