A deadly hantavirus outbreak onboard the Dutch-owned cruise vessel MV Hondius has sparked a coordinated international evacuation effort, after the outbreak claimed three lives and forced hundreds of passengers to be repatriated to their home countries for mandatory quarantine.
The vessel docked at the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife early on Sunday morning, following weeks of the virus spreading among passengers and crew. By the time the ship reached port, passengers from Spain and France had already completed disembarkation and flown back to their home nations, where they are now completing isolation protocols.
The Irish government moved quickly to organize the repatriation of two of its citizens who were onboard the cruise, deploying an Irish Air Corps aircraft to Tenerife on Sunday afternoon to conduct a specialized aeromedical evacuation. Ireland’s Department of Health confirmed that the operation was designed to transport the two passengers directly back to Irish territory, with the mission contingent on the pair maintaining good health following their disembarkation. Officials added that both Irish citizens have already followed required isolation rules while onboard the ship and are currently in stable good health.
Spanish health and port authorities confirmed Sunday that the process of evaluating passengers’ health status and coordinating disembarkation was progressing smoothly and as planned. In addition to the Irish passengers, travelers from the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the United States are scheduled for evacuation from Tenerife later the same day, according to official updates.
The outbreak has already resulted in three fatalities onboard the MV Hondius, two of which have been confirmed as linked to hantavirus infection. All passengers who leave the ship will be required to complete a period of self-isolation after departing Tenerife, a requirement driven by the virus’s maximum incubation period of up to nine weeks. The World Health Organization has formally issued a recommendation that all exposed passengers complete a 42-day quarantine starting from their date of last potential exposure to the virus.
This is not the first emergency response triggered by the MV Hondius outbreak. Earlier in the crisis, British military medics parachuted into the remote Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, a British overseas territory, to assist a British national who disembarked the cruise in mid-April and developed suspected hantavirus symptoms two weeks after arriving. The man, a resident of the remote island, remains in stable condition while isolating. When local oxygen supplies on the island dropped to a critical level, the UK Ministry of Defense arranged for an RAF A400M transport aircraft to drop additional oxygen supplies to the island Saturday.
Irish officials emphasized that the entire repatriation process has been developed in close consultation with public health experts, with strict protocols in place to protect both returning passengers and local communities. “The return of the passengers has been carefully planned and guided by public health authorities to ensure safety for everyone—these measures protect communities while respecting the dignity and well being of those returning home,” the Irish Department of Health said in a formal statement.