90-Second Read: Cruise ship linked to deadly Hantavirus outbreak arrives off Tenerife as passenger evacuation begins

The cruise ship tied to a Hantavirus outbreak that killed three people arrived Sunday off the Spanish island of Tenerife, where passengers are being tested. The cruise ship MV Hondius arrives at the port of Granadilla de Abona after being affected by a Hantavirus outbreak, in Tenerife, Spain, May 10, 2026. A cruise ship linked to a Hantavirus outbreak anchored near the Spanish island of Tenerife ahead of a planned evacuation.

Passengers wore personal protective equipment (PPE), as they disembarked from the MV Hondius cruise ship off Tenerife in Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday. Passengers are being tested by Spanish health authorities to ensure they are asymptomatic before being transported ashore in small boats, Spanish officials said, according to Reuters. Spanish health authorities confirmed that the first plane carrying the Spanish passengers has departed for a military hospital in Madrid, where they will be under quarantine.

The ship set course for Spain on Wednesday from the coast of Cape Verde after the WHO and European Union requested assistance in managing the outbreak. The current public health risk from Hantavirus remains low. The 17 Americans aboard the MV Hondius will be flown to a medical center in Nebraska after health officials allow them to disembark.