Cruise Ship MV Hondius Arrives in Tenerife After Detecting Hanta Virus Outbreak
English Translation of the News Article
Cruise Ship Arrives in Tenerife After Detecting Hanta Virus Outbreak
The cruise ship MV Hondius, where an outbreak of Hanta virus has been detected, arrived early Sunday morning on the Spanish island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. According to an AFP correspondent, over 100 passengers and crew members are expected to be evacuated.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported six confirmed cases of Hanta virus infection out of eight suspected cases, including three deaths caused by the rare but known virus for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment.
Although this disease can cause acute respiratory syndrome, the WHO has sought to reassure that it is "not comparable to COVID-19," whose pandemic remains etched in global memories.
The MV Hondius docked in the small port of Granadilla de Abona, south of the island of Tenerife in the Atlantic Ocean, around 07:00 (05:00 GMT). A part of the crew will remain on board the ship, which will continue its route to the Netherlands.
From this industrial port, Spanish Minister of Health Monica Garcia Gomez stated on Saturday that "all necessary health measures are in place for the arrival of the ship (...)".
She also clarified that the test results of a patient hospitalized in Alicante were negative for the Hanta virus.
According to a statement published on Saturday by the Dutch company Oceanwide Expeditions, which operates the ship, evacuation operations were expected to begin shortly after docking, around 08:00.
Key Points:
- Over 100 passengers and crew members are expected to be evacuated from the MV Hondius.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported six confirmed cases of Hanta virus infection out of eight suspected cases.
- Three deaths have been caused by the rare but known virus.
- The MV Hondius has docked in the small port of Granadilla de Abona, south of the island of Tenerife in the Atlantic Ocean.
- A part of the crew will remain on board the ship, which will continue its route to the Netherlands.
