Evacuation Underway
Passengers began disembarking the MV Hondius cruise ship in Tenerife, Canary Islands on Sunday, following a deadly hantavirus outbreak that has claimed three lives. The ship is anchored off Tenerife, and passengers are being transferred to charter flights to return to their home countries. The evacuation process began almost a month after the contagious disease broke out.
First Evacuation Flight
Spanish nationals were the first to leave the ship and will be quarantined upon arrival in Madrid. Those passengers were taken to a military hospital Sunday afternoon. Passengers from the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium will follow, flown to their countries via Spanish and Dutch planes.
International Response
The Irish government is sending a plane to Spain to repatriate two Irish citizens, who will then be sent to a medical facility for monitoring and isolation, a situation that could take several weeks. Seventeen U.S. citizens aboard the ship will be returning to the United States, with an airplane expected to land in Tenerife at 5:23 p.m. local time. Pope Leo thanked residents of the Canary Islands for their "hospitality" shown to the MV Hondius and its passengers during his public noontime prayer in St. Peter's Square.
Remote Aid Delivery
The British military parachuted critical medical supplies to Tristan da Cunha, a remote British archipelago, where authorities have identified a suspected hantavirus case. A team of six paratroopers and two medical clinicians from 16 Air Assault Brigade parachuted onto the island, delivering 3.3 tonnes of medical supplies for their hospital. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said this operation reflects the commitment to British nationals, adding that their safety is the number one priority.
Hantavirus Details
Five passengers who left the ship are infected with hantavirus, which can cause life-threatening illness. Dr. Boris Pavlin, an epidemiologist with the World Health Organization, confirmed that the investigation indicates the virus originated from rodents in northern Argentina and Chile, where the long-tailed rice rat is common. The British man who lives on Tristan da Cunha disembarked on April 14, reported having diarrhea on April 28 and fever two days later, and is currently in a stable condition and in isolation.
Expert Opinion
Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, told ABC News that the hantavirus outbreak "is on the end of its run right now." He added that person-to-person transmission of the hantavirus strain in question is a very rare exception and only occurs when someone is exhibiting symptoms of the virus.
Quarantine Measures
The remaining 22 British passengers are due to fly home from Tenerife on a charter flight, and will be taken to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral, Merseyside, to isolate for 45 days. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said that one of five French people flown back to France is showing symptoms of the illness and that he would issue a decree authorizing isolation measures to protect the public. While those returning to the U.S. will not be quarantined, Dr. Osterholm said that those exposed can be managed by asking them twice a day if they are experiencing a fever.
