Spain has insisted that it implemented “all measures” necessary to prevent the spread of hantavirus following the evacuation of passengers and crew from a cruise ship linked to multiple deaths and international health concerns.
The Spanish health ministry issued the assurance on Monday after authorities in France and the United States confirmed positive hantavirus tests involving one evacuee each from the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius.
The vessel became the focus of international attention after three passengers reportedly died during the voyage, prompting emergency health measures and a large-scale evacuation operation in the Canary Islands.
On Sunday, Spain authorities coordinated a complex repatriation effort involving 94 passengers and crew members representing 19 nationalities. Medical teams escorted travellers from the ship to an airport in Tenerife, where they underwent extensive health screenings and sanitary checks before boarding flights home.
Despite the precautionary measures, French and American authorities later reported positive hantavirus cases among their returning citizens.
In a statement, the Spanish health ministry defended its handling of the situation and stressed that every effort had been made to minimise potential transmission risks.
“From the start, all the measures adopted have aimed at cutting the possible chains of transmission,” the ministry stated.
“All measures for prevention and control of transmission have been applied.”
Spain officials said the French passenger only began feeling unwell during the repatriation flight and not while aboard the cruise ship. Authorities also explained that the US citizen who later tested positive had shown no symptoms during the vessel’s earlier stop in Cape Verde before arriving in the Canary Islands.
According to the ministry, US officials nevertheless chose to treat the case as positive and requested a separate evacuation procedure. The American evacuee was reportedly transported using a separate boat as an added precaution.
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Two additional repatriation flights to Australia and the Netherlands were scheduled for Monday as authorities worked to complete the evacuation of the remaining passengers and crew.
Spanish minister Angel Victor Torres told public radio RNE that officials hoped to conclude the operation earlier than expected.
Following refuelling, the MV Hondius was expected to depart for the Netherlands with a reduced skeleton crew later on Monday evening.
Health experts have emphasised that hantavirus remains a rare disease primarily spread by rodents. There are currently no vaccines or specific treatments available for the illness. \
However, public health authorities have repeatedly stated that the overall risk to global public health remains low and have rejected comparisons with the Covid-19 pandemic.
