health
May 10, 2026
WHO head assuages Tenerife residents’ fears over arrival of hantavirus ‘plague ship’
The arrival of the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius cruise ship off Tenerife poses little risk to locals, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has assured
TL;DR
- The WHO Director-General stated that the arrival of the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius cruise ship poses little risk of contagion to local residents.
- The ship experienced an outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus, which has caused three deaths among passengers.
- Unlike most hantaviruses, the Andes strain can be transmitted between humans through close contact.
- All passengers will be transported from the ship to their home countries through a controlled repatriation process.
- The WHO confirmed eight cases linked to the vessel, including three deaths, with six confirmed and two suspected cases of hantavirus.