90-Second Read: Hantavirus-ridden MV Hondius cruise ship anchors in Canary Islands after deadly outbreak — as passengers evacuate

The Hantavirus-stricken HV Hondius docked in Spain Sunday morning after the outbreak on the ship left three travelers dead and sparked global concern over a possible wider spread of the rodent-borne illness. The plagued Dutch cruise ship reached Tenerife, the Canary Islands' largest island, around 6:30 a.m local time as more than 140 passengers and crew started to disembark from the vessel. Hantavirus manifests as a severe flu, with survivors describing the grueling disease as "torture." The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a "Level 3" alert over the outbreak and has cautioned that the threat to the public remains minimal.

Spanish passengers, 13 vacationers and one crew member, were the first to leave the cruise ship in a small boat around 9:30 a.m. Spanish health authorities said the operation was specifically designed to prevent any contact between passengers and the local population. The weeks-long Atlantic cruise, which departed from Argentina on March 20, spiraled into a nightmare when an elderly Dutch couple carried the rare Andes strain of the virus after contracting it in Argentina last month.

Three suspected patients, a German, Dutch and British national, were evacuated to the Netherlands for medical care, the WHO said, while Switzerland confirmed a former passenger tested positive for the virus after showing symptoms. The remaining passengers were stranded aboard, answering questions from health workers and waiting to see if they show symptoms, which can take up to eight weeks to appear. Fears among locals have surged in recent days ahead of the doomed ship's arrival, but World Health Organization officials said the public risk is low and they're closely monitoring the situation.