All 140 passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship, center of a dangerous hantavirus outbreak, have disembarked in Spain’s Canary Islands today after being screened by Spanish authorities for symptoms. The Americans will fly back to their home countries and be taken to a medical facility in Nebraska upon arrival in the United States for evaluation.
Seventeen American passengers are scheduled to be the last individuals evacuated from the vessel following its anchor drop off Tenerife in the Canary Islands before sunrise. A direct flight from Atlanta, Georgia, departed for Tenerife South Airport, just minutes from where passengers disembarked.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official stated federal officials do not plan to mandate quarantine for American passengers upon arrival in Nebraska. Instead, they will undergo screening at the U.S. facility and either remain briefly at Nebraska’s National Quarantine Unit or return home to monitor symptoms for 42 days while maintaining contact with local health authorities.
Meanwhile, French authorities confirmed one of five repatriated nationals exhibited hantavirus symptoms during transport. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu reported the passengers were immediately placed in strict isolation until further notice and are receiving medical care and testing. This would bring the confirmed and probable case count on board to nine, including two deaths and one suspected death.
French officials also announced plans to implement targeted isolation measures for close contacts starting this evening to protect the public. The U.S. CDC reiterated that the outbreak does not constitute a pandemic threat comparable to COVID-19, emphasizing no need for lockdowns or widespread panic.