TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Spain has granted permission for the Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship, MV Hondius, to dock in the Canary Islands following a Hantavirus outbreak on board. The Spanish Ministry of Health, as reported by Al Jazeera, stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) requested Spain’s intervention on Tuesday night, local time, to allow the vessel to berth.
The luxury vessel is currently situated near Cape Verde, West Africa, the region where the initial cases of Hantavirus transmission were first detected. "The Canary Islands are the closest location with the necessary capabilities. Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are also several Spanish citizens," the report noted on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
A Dutch passenger died on board the ship on April 11. His wife died on April 27, with authorities later confirming she had tested positive for a variant of hantavirus. On May 2, a German passenger died, but the cause has not yet been confirmed, as reported by The Guardian.
The couple is believed to have been the first passengers infected with the virus, passing away on April 11, though their bodies remained on the ship until April 24. Sources reported that the couple was eventually disembarked at St. Helena and repatriated to their home country.
Citing the Antara news agency, the report added that the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the situation to determine which individuals require immediate evacuation in Cape Verde. Upon arrival at their destination, both passengers and crew will undergo rigorous medical examinations conducted by Spanish authorities and the WHO.
Underscoring its international legal and moral responsibilities, the Spanish government agreed to the Dutch government's request to accommodate those on board. All passengers are slated for transfer to the Canary Islands via medical aircraft, with the Spanish government explaining in an official statement that Cape Verde is deemed unequipped to handle such an operation.
The Spanish Ministry of Health confirmed that the MV Hondius will resume its journey from the Canary Islands once all infected passengers have been evacuated. The ministry asserted that upon docking, all crew members and passengers will be examined, treated, and repatriated to their respective home countries.
WHO officials suspect that human-to-human transmission of the Hantavirus occurred on Tuesday. "We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that’s happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who have shared cabins," said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO Director of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, as cited by Al Jazeera.
The cruise ship originally departed from Ushuaia, Argentina, on April 1, bound for Cape Verde with 88 passengers and 59 crew members from 23 different nations. The MV Hondius had been scheduled to visit the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, and several other remote islands.
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