WHO Reassures Tenerife Residents Amid Hantavirus Concerns

TENERIFE, Spain — The World Health Organization’s director sought to calm the anxieties of those living on the Spanish island as a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak is set to arrive. He emphasized that this situation is “not another COVID.”

The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, carrying over 140 individuals, is making its way to the Canary Islands, located near the coast of West Africa, expected to reach Tenerife early Sunday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, alongside Spain’s Health Minister Monica Garcia and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, arrived in Tenerife to oversee the safe disembarkation of passengers and some crew members.

“I realize you are concerned. When the term ‘outbreak’ comes up and you see a ship approaching, it’s only natural that memories of past challenges resurface. The struggles from 2020 still linger, and I fully acknowledge that,” Tedros expressed in a message to the Tenerife community.

However, he stressed, “Please listen closely: This is not another COVID situation. The public health risk associated with hantavirus is currently low. My colleagues and I stand firm in this statement, and I want to reiterate it now.”

Authorities from WHO, Spain, and the cruise line, Oceanwide Expeditions, confirmed that none aboard the Hondius are currently exhibiting symptoms of the virus.

Hantavirus can lead to severe health complications, typically spreading through inhalation of contaminated particles from rodent droppings, and is not commonly transmitted among humans. However, the Andes virus detected in this outbreak may, in rare instances, spread between individuals. Symptoms generally arise between one to eight weeks post-exposure.

Tragically, three individuals have died during this outbreak, with five others who left the ship now confirmed to have contracted hantavirus.

Residents Express Concerns

Some Tenerife locals have voiced their apprehensions. Passengers on the vessel have also expressed fears of potential stigma.

69-year-old resident Simon Vidal remarked, “I really don’t like this situation. Why bring a ship from abroad here? Why not anywhere else?”

Others resonate with the passengers’ plight but remain wary. “It’s certainly a concerning situation,” stated 27-year-old Venezuelan immigrant Samantha Aguero, adding, “We feel a bit uneasy, unsure about the security measures in place. This is a virus we’ve dealt with before, so we need compassion, but it’s also unsettling.”

Evacuation Under Stringent Safety Protocols

Minister Garcia noted that passengers and some crew will disembark in Tenerife “under maximum safety protocols.”

The Hondius will anchor offshore, with individuals ferried by smaller boats. Each person disembarking will undergo health checks and won’t leave until a flight is confirmed in Tenerife, Garcia explained during a briefing. Currently, passengers hail from over 20 different countries.

Authorities aim to complete evacuation flights by Sunday and Monday, as stated by Maria Van Kerkove, WHO’s Epidemic and Pandemic Management Department Director.

Planes from both the U.S. and U.K. will assist in evacuating their citizens, with Americans to be quarantined in Nebraska. Spanish nationals will be taken to a medical facility for observation, according to Garcia. Oceanwide reported that there are 13 Spanish passengers and one Spanish crew member aboard.

Evacuees will need to leave their luggage; only small bags containing essential items, like cell phones and documentation, will be permitted.

Some crew members and the body of a deceased passenger will remain onboard, which will then head to the Netherlands for disinfection.

Medical Evacuation Resources on Standby

Spain has activated the EU civil protection mechanism to have a medical evacuation plane equipped for infectious disease emergencies on standby, in case anyone on the ship requires urgent medical attention. The person would then be airlifted to the European mainland.

The Dutch government is collaborating with Spanish authorities and the cruise line to facilitate the repatriation of Dutch passengers and crew post-arrival in Tenerife, adhering to medical guidelines. Those without symptoms will enter home quarantine for six weeks, closely monitored by local health services.

As the vessel is Dutch-flagged, there may be provisions for the temporary accommodation and quarantine of other nationalities as well.

Health Authorities Track Passengers

Health officials across four continents are actively tracing and monitoring over two dozen passengers who left the ship before the outbreak was officially recognized. They are also working to identify those who may have had contact with them.

On April 24, nearly two weeks after the initial death aboard, more than two dozen individuals from at least 12 nations disembarked without any tracking measures in place, as noted by Dutch officials and the cruise operator.

The confirmation of hantavirus in a passenger only came on May 2.

Dutch health authorities have been keeping an eye on travelers who took a flight briefly boarded by a passenger later confirmed to have hantavirus, and all three symptomatic individuals from that flight have tested negative.