On 9 May 2026 Tenerife prepared to receive the MV Hondius after a hantavirus outbreak; WHO officials described containment steps and reassured the public that the situation is not a repeat of COVID
On 9 May 2026, authorities moved to disembark passengers and crew from the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius after an outbreak linked to the Andes strain of hantavirus. Local and international agencies coordinated a response designed to keep the wider community safe while attending to those on board.
The vessel carried about 140 passengers and crew, and reports confirmed that three people had died; a small number of other travellers were known to be infected. The outbreak response prioritised isolation, medical screening and careful transfer to ensure minimal contact with Tenerife residents.
The World Health Organization (WHO) director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, addressed the people of Tenerife directly to explain the public health assessment and the practical steps being taken. He stressed that this event does not equate to a new pandemic and said the current public health risk is low.
Under the International Health Regulations, Spain was identified as the nearest port with sufficient capacity; Tenerife’s Granadilla industrial port was selected to allow controlled, distant transfer of travellers to guarded vehicles and repatriation flights.
How the evacuation and containment are organised
Spanish authorities outlined a multilayered plan that relied on strict separation between evacuees and the local population. Passengers are to be moved from ship to shore in small boats and taken immediately to buses positioned away from public areas. Medical teams, including WHO experts and representatives from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the Netherlands, are on hand to perform screening and triage. Those showing symptoms will be prioritised for treatment and, where appropriate, repatriation to their home countries. The operation emphasizes secure transit corridors, sealed vehicles and cordoned zones to limit any possibility of community exposure.
What the virus is and how it spreads
The incident has been linked to the Andes hantavirus, a variant typically associated with exposure to rodent droppings. Health agencies note that hantaviruses are usually transmitted through environmental contamination rather than casual contact. However, the Andes strain is known to have rare instances of person-to-person transmission, which is why officials remain cautious. Symptoms commonly appear within one to eight weeks, a window officials call the incubation period, and can range from mild flu-like signs to severe respiratory illness. Despite the seriousness of the fatalities, experts assessed the broader public threat as low based on current evidence.
Local reaction and community concerns
The prospect of a ship docking with an infectious outbreak stirred anxiety among some Tenerife residents and local groups. Activist voices urged extreme caution and transparency, arguing that the islands should not become a testing ground for international health events. Small businesses and residents expressed mixed feelings: relief that medical plans exist, yet worry about social stigma and the potential for community disruption. Several passengers who have been stranded reported fear of ostracism after disembarkation. Officials have sought to balance these social concerns with the need to treat and repatriate the people on board in a dignified manner, while protecting public health.
Why authorities say the public risk is low
Public health officials pointed to several reasons for their measured assessment: there were reportedly no symptomatic passengers on board at the time of docking, trained WHO staff were present to advise on clinical and logistical matters, and Tenerife was chosen because of its medical capacity to manage complex evacuations. The WHO and national authorities stressed the use of evidence-based precautions—from controlled disembarkation to targeted screening and repatriation—designed to prevent onward transmission and contain the event rapidly.
Next steps and ongoing monitoring
Authorities will continue tracing people who left the ship prior to the outbreak being identified and are monitoring contacts across several continents. The operational focus remains on screening those arriving, treating the sick, and returning healthy travellers to their countries under guarded conditions. Dr Tedros said he intended to visit Tenerife to observe procedures and to thank local staff for their cooperation, framing the response as an act of international solidarity rather than an imposition. The WHO and partner agencies will maintain surveillance and update guidance as new information emerges, while urging communities to follow official directions and avoid panic.
