A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the Dutch-flagged luxury cruise ship MV Hondius has killed three people and infected at least nine passengers and crew, prompting Spanish authorities to grant the vessel permission to dock in Tenerife despite objections from Canary Islands regional leader Fernando Clavijo. The ship departed Ushuaia, Argentina on April 1, 2026, and has been anchored off Cape Verde since May 4 with nearly 150 people isolated in their cabins. Three patients—German, Dutch, and British nationals—were evacuated on May 6 and flown to the Netherlands for treatment, while authorities confirmed the outbreak involves the rare Andes strain of hantavirus, which unlike other strains can transmit between humans through close contact. International health agencies including the CDC and WHO are coordinating monitoring efforts across multiple countries where passengers have returned, though officials emphasize the risk to the general public remains very low given the virus's limited transmission capabilities.
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