90-Second Read: WHO director arrives in Canary Islands to oversee Hantavirus cruise evacuation: "This disease is not COVID"

More than 100 people from a cruise ship dealing with an outbreak of the rare and deadly Hantavirus are set to be disembarked. Addressing the people of the Canary Islands, where the ship will anchor off the coast of its largest island, the WHO chief said the public's concern is legitimate after what the world experienced in 2020 during the global coronavirus pandemic. Eight people on the ship had confirmed or suspected cases of the Hantavirus and three people have died, the WHO said on Friday. Updated on: May 9, 2026 / 8:51 PM EDT / CBS News World Health Organization Director-General Dr.

The WHO said it was recommending each country keep the passengers removed from the ship in isolation for 42 days from the last point of exposure to the virus. The outbreak on the ship appears to have started with a Dutch couple who traveled around South America, the only place the Andes strain exists, in the months leading up to the cruise. The couple spent time bird-watching in areas where rodents are known to have tested positive for Hantavirus, according to Oceanwide Expeditions. To be on the side of the people because saying things from far could be easy.

None of the 147 people currently on board, including 60 crew members, are symptomatic, according to Oceanwide Expeditions, which owns the vessel. Tedros estimated Saturday that there will be six evacuation flights headed for the EU and four for non-EU countries. The disease is usually acquired through close contact with rodents, and is not transmissible from person to person. However, health experts say the chances of widespread transmission are very small.

However, testing of those who were sickened on the Hondius has confirmed they have the Andes strain of the virus, the only variation that can be transmitted through close contact with a sick individual. The husband died on the ship April 11, while his wife was one of 32 people who disembarked the ship in Saint Helena, according to Oceanwide Expeditions.