The luxury cruise ship MV Hondius departed Tenerife on Monday after the final group of passengers and crew members were evacuated following a hantavirus outbreak onboard that left three people dead and several others infected.
The vessel briefly stopped at the port of Granadilla de Abona on the Spanish island, where six passengers, including four Australians, one British national living in Australia and a New Zealander, disembarked along with 19 crew members and two doctors, per a Times of India report.
After the evacuation, the ship continued its journey to the Netherlands carrying 25 crew members, a doctor and a nurse.
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WHO completes evacuation mission
According to Dutch authorities, evacuated passengers and staff were transported by bus to a Tenerife airport before boarding flights to the Netherlands. The passengers travelling onward to Australia will complete quarantine procedures based on decisions by local authorities there.
"Mission accomplished; we've just wrapped up the operation and the ship has just set sail," Spanish Health minister Monica Garcia said, according to Reuters.
The evacuation operation resulted in 94 people being repatriated to their home countries, 41 days after the cruise ship left southern Argentina and nine days after the first positive hantavirus test onboard.
MV Hondius has now left the shores of Tenerife. All passengers have safely disembarked and are either on their way or have arrived home. #Spain executed this complex operation in style and I’m not surprised -- I witnessed outstanding leadership, professionalism and expertise.… pic.twitter.com/uFdjHHRb12
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 11, 2026
Deaths and confirmed infections
Three people, a Dutch couple and a German national, died during the outbreak. The World Health Organisation confirmed seven cases of the Andes strain of hantavirus and reported two additional suspected cases.
Among those infected was a French passenger whose condition reportedly worsened after testing positive when the ship reached the Canary Islands. Spanish health officials also confirmed that one of 14 Spaniards quarantining in Madrid tested positive, though the patient showed no symptoms.
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The US Department of Health and Human Services said one American passenger tested mildly positive for the virus, while another showed mild symptoms.
Health authorities stressed that hantavirus does not spread easily between people and said the risk to the public remains low.
LIVE from Tenerife: Media update on disembarkation of passengers and crew from MV Hondius. #hantavirus https://t.co/0YuVn8KOpW
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 11, 2026
Mental health concerns onboard
The MV Hondius had 147 passengers and crew members from 23 countries when the outbreak was first reported to the WHO on May 2.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said authorities decided against keeping passengers quarantined onboard because of worsening mental health conditions.
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“There was even mental breakdown for some of the passengers. It's very difficult to stay for weeks in a small container. This was the best and the only option we had,” Tedros said, according to Reuters.
The WHO has recommended a 42-day quarantine period for all passengers.
