Evacuation of virus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius underway on Tenerife

The evacuation of passengers from the virus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius is continuing on Tenerife, with authorities aiming to complete the operation by Monday evening, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

Two new cases of infection were confirmed aboard the ship on Monday morning, according to international media. At least six passengers have tested positive for hantavirus since the outbreak was detected, with three fatalities reported so far.

Karoline Engelund, foreign correspondent for DR, told Swedish broadcaster SVT that small boats have been shuttling passengers from the cruise ship to the dock, where medical teams are receiving them. Those cleared after health checks are being transported by bus to a nearby airport, around 20 minutes away, where aircraft from multiple countries are standing by.

“Today, we expect two flights to depart with at least six people, several of them bound for the Netherlands,” Engelund said. She added that authorities hope to finish the evacuation by evening.

Sweden’s Public Health Agency has described the risk of further transmission as “very low.” Klara Sondén, deputy state epidemiologist, told SVT that the situation is “under control” and that resources are fully deployed.

“In Sweden—and really anywhere in the world—I don’t think we need to be worried,” Sondén said. She confirmed that a newly infected American passenger was en route to Omaha, USA, for treatment, adding: “I am convinced the U.S. can handle a patient with this infection.”

The ship, carrying 151 passengers, has been docked on Tenerife since the outbreak was identified. The two latest confirmed cases involve an American and a French passenger, according to reports from CNN and Reuters.

Hantavirus infections are zoonotic, meaning they can spread from animals—primarily rodents—to humans. Symptoms range from asymptomatic cases to severe forms of hemorrhagic fever or acute lung syndrome, with mortality rates as high as 35 percent for some strains, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Transmission often occurs through inhalation of dried rodent urine or feces.