سفينة «هانتا» تقترب من تينيريفي الإسبانية.. و«الصحة العالمية»: ليس «كوفيد» – صحيفة الخليج

The World Health Organization (WHO) has characterized the global risk as low following reports of a vessel carrying passengers affected by the hantavirus approaching Tenerife, Spain. On May 9, 2026, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus clarified that the current situation does not mirror the transmission patterns of COVID-19, seeking to alleviate public concern regarding a potential new pandemic.

The vessel, identified as the MV Hondias and flying the Dutch flag, has been kept offshore by Spanish regional authorities. This precautionary measure allows health officials to conduct rigorous screenings of passengers and crew before anyone is permitted to disembark. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been briefed on the situation as the Spanish government coordinates with international health bodies to manage the evacuation and medical triage of those on board.

Public health officials emphasize that the hantavirus is fundamentally different from the coronavirus in terms of how it spreads and its impact on the general population. While COVID-19 is characterized by highly efficient human-to-human respiratory transmission, hantaviruses are primarily zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted from animals to humans.

According to reporting from Al Jazeera Net and Al-Bayan, the fear surrounding the vessel stems from the virus’s association with severe respiratory and renal distress, which can lead to high mortality rates if not treated promptly. However, the WHO’s assessment that the risk remains low is based on the fact that hantaviruses typically do not spread between people.

Medical research indicates that hantaviruses are generally transmitted to humans through the inhalation of aerosolized particles from the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents. We find two primary clinical manifestations of the virus depending on the strain: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), more common in the Americas and Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), more frequent in Europe and Asia.

HPS typically begins with flu-like symptoms, including fever and muscle aches, before progressing to severe shortness of breath and fluid accumulation in the lungs. HFRS manifests as fever, abdominal pain, and acute kidney failure. Because these infections are tied to environmental exposure to rodent vectors rather than social contact, the potential for a community-wide outbreak in Tenerife is considered minimal by health experts.

The presence of the virus on a ship often raises questions about how such outbreaks occur in maritime environments. Public health analysis suggests that ships can become focal points for zoonotic diseases if rodent control measures fail, allowing infected pests to inhabit cargo holds or galley areas where passengers and crew may be exposed to contaminated dust.

To prevent the spread of such pathogens, maritime health protocols focus on several key areas:

• Strict adherence to rodent-proofing and pest control standards in storage and living quarters.
• The use of specialized cleaning agents to neutralize viral particles in contaminated areas.
• Rapid screening and isolation of symptomatic individuals to ensure they receive supportive care in clinical settings.
• Coordination between vessel captains and port health authorities to prevent premature docking during an active health crisis.

As of May 9, 2026, the priority for Spanish authorities remains the safe evacuation of the MV Hondias passengers. By keeping the ship in open waters, officials can ensure that any individual showing symptoms of hantavirus is transported directly to a medical facility equipped to handle severe respiratory or renal failure, bypassing public terminals.

While the situation has caused localized alarm, the WHO continues to monitor the case to ensure that no rare strains capable of limited human-to-human transmission—such as those previously identified in the Andes region—are present. For the general public, the organization maintains that there is no evidence of a broader public health threat.