Published on: 05/06/2026 - 13:31 Last updated: 05/06/2026 - 19:49

On Wednesday, three people suspected of being infected with the Hanta virus were evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship and transported to the Netherlands. The Spanish Minister of Health announced that all remaining passengers on board the ship did not show any symptoms, and the non-Spanish passengers will be returned to their countries after the ship arrives in the Canary Islands from Cape Verde. Experts said that the deaths resulted from a rare strain that is transmissible between humans, while the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed that the risk of a widespread outbreak of the virus is “weak.”

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Spain will return the ship's passengers to their countries

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said that all remaining passengers on board the luxury cruise ship that was infected with the deadly Hanta virus did not show any symptoms, and the non-Spanish passengers will be returned to their countries after the ship arrives in Tenerife in the Canary Islands from Cape Verde.

Director of the World Health Organization: The spread of the Hanta virus does not resemble the beginning of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he "does not believe" the situation resulting from a Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship resembles the beginnings of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I don’t think” it is similar to the beginnings of the Covid-19 pandemic, Tedros said, adding, “At the moment, the risk to the rest of the world is low.”

WHO: Hanta virus assessment is still at “low risk”

Shenaz Al-Halabi, representative of the World Health Organization in South Africa, said on Wednesday that confirming the possibility of transmission of the Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship from one human to another does not change the risk assessment conducted by the organization, which is still at a “low” level. She added, "No, this does not change the risk assessment because... (spread) occurs primarily when coming into contact with infected rodents, and even... human-to-human transmission (occurs only) in cases of very, very close contact."

Newspaper: A German woman on board a ship infected with the Hanta virus will undergo examination

Bild newspaper reported on Wednesday that a German citizen who was on board a luxury cruise ship in which the deadly Hanta virus was outbreak would be transferred to a hospital in Dusseldorf for examinations, noting that the woman did not show any symptoms. The newspaper added that the German citizen came into contact with another German woman who died on board the ship. The newspaper reported that the high-risk patient transport unit of the Dusseldorf Fire Brigade set off for Amsterdam International Airport to transport the woman. The hospital has not yet commented on the report.

Shenaz Al-Halabi, representative of the World Health Organization in South Africa, said on Wednesday that confirming the possibility of transmission of the Hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship from one human to another does not change the risk assessment conducted by the organization, which is still at a “low” level. She added, "No, this does not change the risk assessment because... (spread) occurs primarily when coming into contact with infected rodents, and even... human-to-human transmission (occurs only) in cases of very, very close contact."

South Africa: Two cases of Hanta virus infection were detected linked to a ship where the disease spread

A presentation by the South African Minister of Health to Parliament on Wednesday showed that the country detected two people infected with the Andean strain of the Hantavirus, which is transmitted between humans, after they disembarked from a cruise ship where the disease had spread. The presentation, which Reuters reviewed, stated that tests, conducted by the National Institute for Infectious Diseases in South Africa, revealed that the Andean strain was the cause of the infection of a Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg, and a British man who is still in hospital. Both fell ill on the ship.

France 24/ Agencies

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