Passengers disembark from Hantavirus-hit cruise ship in Canary Islands

Passengers began disembarking from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak on Sunday, as the vessel anchored off Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. This marked the start of evacuation plans for those on board, with small groups of passengers and crew disembarking after the ship's arrival. Officials indicated that individuals would be flown to their home countries through Monday (The New York Times). The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed two cases of hantavirus among those on the ship, with five additional individuals suspected of infection. The strain identified is the Andes virus, which is known to transmit from person to person, raising international concern regarding the outbreak (The Hindu). Health authorities have initiated international contact tracing efforts following three deaths linked to suspected hantavirus exposure aboard the cruise ship (France24). As the situation unfolds, suspected cases in Alicante and Barcelona are under observation while awaiting test results. The WHO chief has arrived in Spain to coordinate the evacuation of passengers from the affected ship (The Hindu). The cruise ship had previously been docked in the Atlantic near Cape Verde before making its way to the Canary Islands for disembarkation (The Hindu).