Spanish authorities are bracing for the arrival of the MV Hondius, a cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed six hantavirus cases linked to the vessel, which is expected to dock in Tenerife, Canary Islands, early Sunday.

The US and UK regimes have pledged to send planes to evacuate their citizens from the ship. According to the cruise operator, no symptomatic passengers remain on board. However, some passengers disembarked before the infection was reported, prompting a global race to trace them and their contacts.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated he has been in direct communication with the ship's captain and will travel to Tenerife to oversee the safe disembarkation. He emphasized that the risk to the general public remains low, as hantavirus is not highly contagious.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia announced that passengers and crew will be taken to a completely isolated area upon arrival. The body of one deceased person will remain on board, and the ship will later proceed to the Netherlands for disinfection.

The Andes strain of hantavirus can be transmitted between humans, but only through close contact. The WHO insists the outbreak is not comparable to COVID-19. Nevertheless, three people have died, and several remain hospitalized in various countries.

Source: www.dw.com