The cruise ship “Hondius” which was affected by a Hantavirus outbreak, has arrived at Tenerife. Extensive preparations were made to welcome the ship in the port of Granadilla on Sunday and successfully disembark over 100 people back to their home countries. As the ship approached the island, a one-nautical-mile security perimeter was established, and it will anchor at sea within the port to maintain isolation.
Security measures at the port, which is an industrial facility in southern Tenerife, have been significantly reinforced. Spain’s military police and disaster relief teams erected large reception tents, and access to the coast is restricted. Initially, medical teams are scheduled to board the ship to check everyone for signs of the virus. Reports indicate that no one has shown any additional symptoms recently. The individuals will then be classified into groups according to their nationality and transported to the coast by smaller boats, with charter planes ready to fly them out.
Among the passengers are six German nationals. Initially, the specifics of their repatriation were unclear. Ultimately, local health departments in Germany will take over their care. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) recommends a six-week quarantine period for the passengers.
Since sailing from Argentina towards the Cape Verde Islands on April 1st, seven individuals out of 147 passengers and crew have contracted Hantavirus aboard the MV “Hondius” resulting in three deaths. One of the deceased was a German national. Hantavirus transmission to humans typically occurs through contact with the contaminated urine, feces, or saliva of infected rodents, or through rodent bites.
While person-to-person transmission has only been documented for the “Andes Virus” a group belonging to Hantaviruses, and is described as “rare” by the World Health Organization (WHO), the WHO anticipates that person-to-person transmission occurred in this specific case. However, WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently emphasized that the outbreak does not represent a “new Covid”.