Hantavirus: Canary Islands objects to docking of cruise ship
What you need to know
- Spain's Health Ministry has said it will allow a luxury cruise ship to dock at the Canary Island of Tenerife
- The regional government of Spain's Canary Islands objects, saying there is insufficient information to reassure the public
- South African health authorities say they have identified the Andes strain of hantavirus in two passengers who were on a cruise ship
- The Andes strain can be transmitted from person to person, although this is thought to be rare
Stay with us for the latest news on the MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak:
Skip next section German contact due to testing in Düsseldorf05/06/2026May 6, 2026German contact due to testing in Düsseldorf
A German national from a hantavirus-hit cruise ship is being transported to Germany for precautionary testing, Germany's Bild newspaper reported.
The report said the woman showed no symptoms. She appeared to be one of the three people being flown to the Netherlands after exposure on board the MV Hondius.
According to reports, she is a contact of one of three people who died during the suspected outbreak on the expedition cruise ship.
The woman is being taken by special flight to Amsterdam before transfer under high-containment conditions to a university clinic in Düsseldorf.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DMENSkip next section What hantavirus is and how infection occurs05/06/2026May 6, 2026What hantavirus is and how infection occurs
Hantavirus is a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals — mainly rodents — to humans.
Hantavirus infections typically begin with flu-like symptoms. While they can sometimes prove fatal, the severity varies depending on the viral strain.
In Europe, person-to-person spread has not been observed, and infection typically occurs through contact with virus particles shed by infected animals.
The natural hosts are mostly mice and rats, which release the virus in their saliva, urine and feces. People become infected primarily by breathing in contaminated dust — for example, when dried droppings or nesting material are disturbed.
Infection can also happen by ingesting contaminated particles or by touching the eyes or nose after contact with contaminated surfaces. The virus can survive in the environment for weeks, meaning direct contact with a rodent is not required, although bites can also transmit the infection.
An exception involves the Andes virus, observed in Argentina and Chile, where there have been examples of human-to-human transmission, though this has been rare.
Read more about the symptoms of the virus, and how infection occures.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DMAYSkip next section Three suspected cases sent to Netherlands05/06/2026May 6, 2026Three suspected cases sent to Netherlands
Three people believed to have the hantavirus infection have been evacuated from the MV Hondius and are on their way to the Netherlands.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry says the three are nationals of the Netherlands, Britain and Germany.
Two of the evacuees are confirmed to be ill, while a third is suspected of infection, the ministry said. They are being transferred to specialized hospitals in Europe, though no further details were provided.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DM6QSkip next section Swiss case linked to Hondius hantavirus outbreak05/06/2026May 6, 2026Swiss case linked to Hondius hantavirus outbreak
A passenger from the cruise ship MV Hondius has tested positive for hantavirus after returning to Switzerland.
The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health said the man was being treated at University Hospital Zurich after developing symptoms following a trip to South America.
Authorities said the patient returned with his wife at the end of April and sought medical care after falling ill. They said the hospital was prepared for such cases and that safety for staff and other patients was ensured.
The office added that further cases in Switzerland were unlikely and the risk to the wider public remained low. The patient's wife has shown no symptoms but has entered precautionary self-isolation.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DM4DSkip next section Andes hantavirus detected in cruise outbreak05/06/2026May 6, 2026Andes hantavirus detected in cruise outbreak
South African health authorities have identified the Andes strain of hantavirus in passengers from a cruise ship outbreak.
Officials said Wednesday the cases were confirmed after passengers were evacuated from a vessel stranded off Cape Verde.
The World Health Organization has said the Andes virus is mainly found in South America, especially in Argentina and Chile. Unlike most hantaviruses, it can spread between people, though transmission typically requires close contact such as sharing a bed or food.
South Africa's Department of Health said the findings were based on tests carried out after two passengers were flown in from the ship. One, a British man, is in intensive care, while the second case was confirmed posthumously after a woman died in South Africa.
Three passengers have died in the outbreak linked to the ship, which departed from Argentina. At least four others have fallen ill, with three still on board awaiting evacuation.
The World Health Organization said two of the earliest cases — a Dutch woman who later died and her husband — had recently traveled in Argentina and elsewhere in South America before boarding the vessel.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DLzESkip next section Canary Islands oppose hantavirus ship docking05/06/2026May 6, 2026Canary Islands oppose hantavirus ship docking
The regional government of the Canary Islands is opposed to allowing a luxury cruise ship hit by an outbreak of the deadly hantavirus to dock on the archipelago, its leader says.
Fernando Clavijo said he was concerned that safety conditions could not be guaranteed.
"This decision is not based on any technical criteria, nor have we been provided with sufficient information to maintain a message of calm and guarantee the safety of the population in the Canary Islands," Clavijo told the EFE news agency.
He questioned why it is not possible to evacuate passengers to their respective countries of origin from Praia International Airport, which serves the capital of Cape Verde, where the cruise ship is currently anchored.
In a post on X, Clavijo said the Canary Islands "cannot accept decisions taken behind the backs of the Canarian institutions and without sufficient information to the population."
Clavijo also said he had requested an urgent meeting to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Clavijo is a member of the conservative People's Party, the main opposition to Sanchez's Socialists.
Any decision ultimately rests with Madrid, which supersedes regional authorities.
https://p.dw.com/p/5DLz7Skip next section What we know so far05/06/2026May 6, 2026What we know so far
A hantavirus-hit cruise ship has been anchored off Cape Verde and is now preparing to head to Spain rather than remain there.
Spanish authorities said Tuesday the vessel would be received in the Canary Islands within three to four days.
The MV Hondius has been moored for two days after a hantavirus outbreak was detected on board, leaving three passengers dead and several others suspected to be infected.
Spain's Health Ministry said passengers and crew would be examined, treated and later transferred to their home countries once the ship docks. Authorities did not specify which port in the Canary Islands would receive the vessel.
The government said the decision was based on international law and humanitarian principles, adding that Cape Verde lacked the capacity to manage the situation. Spain also noted that the Canary Islands were the nearest location with adequate facilities and that several Spanish citizens were among those on board.
Deadly virus outbreak suspected on cruise ship in Atlantic
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https://p.dw.com/p/5DLxtSkip next section Welcome to our coverage05/06/2026May 6, 2026Welcome to our coverage
Richard Connor | Dmytro Hubenko EditorWelcome to our latest updates on developments surrounding the deadly outbreak of hantavirus aboard a cruise ship that is now traveling to Spain.
Three passengers aboard the MV Hondius, which had been sitting off the coast of Cape Verde, have died of the rodent-borne virus.
Stay with us here for the latest developments.
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