The last passengers aboard the MV Hondius, the Dutch cruise ship which has been the scene of a deadly hantavirus outbreak over the past few weeks, have been evacuated. As the 28 remaining evacuees landed in the Netherlands, authorities confirmed that three more passengers tested positive for the disease.
What started off as a normal cruise on 1 April 2026, carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries, has quickly turned into a global headliner and health concern. Over the course of a few weeks, the MV Hondius – which set out from Argentina – has become the scene of a deadly hantavirus outbreak.
After the first hantavirus cases had been confirmed, the ship first anchored off Cape Verde before heading to Tenerife in order to start evacuating the remaining passengers. Spanish health minister Monica Garcia Gomez, interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and minister for territorial policy Angel Victor Torres Pérez, as well as the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, supervised the delicate operation when the ship arrived on 10 May 2026.
@jarodrigueztv Desembarco en Tenerife de los pasajeros del Hondius, el crucero de lujo que se ha visto afectado por el Hantavirus
♬ Epic Music(830640) – Pavel
Approximately two days later, on the night of 11 on 12 May 2026, the last evacuees arrived in the Netherlands. The remaining passengers – four Australians, one Briton, and one New Zealander – and the crew members – 17 Filipinos, a Dutch national, and a German – will stay at a quarantine facility near the Eindhoven airbase before being repatriated to their respective countries.
However, the MV Hondius still had people on board when it left Tenerife. 25 crew members and two medical staff will accompany the ship to Rotterdam. Upon its arrival – expected on Sunday 17 May 2026 – the vessel will be disinfected, and those remaining on board will most likely undergo a quarantine procedure before being repatriated. The WHO has recommended 42 days of isolation for those leaving the MV Hondius.
“Mission accomplished. Between yesterday and today, we have evacuated the 125 passengers and crew members from 23 countries, who have either already returned home or are in the process of being repatriated. The ship, as you can see, has just weighed anchor. It left the port today at 7:00 pm,” said Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia Gomez in Tenerife.
Most passengers and crew of the MV Hondius cruise ship successfully disembarked today. I’m grateful to Ministers @Monica_Garcia_G, Fernando Grande-Marlaska and @avtorresp, their @sanidadgob, @interiorgob and @territorialgob teams, and the whole government of #Spain for their… pic.twitter.com/6Fiz1ODVVH
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 10, 2026
Three new cases
Since the evacuations started, three new cases have been detected. Aside from the three passengers who died due to the virus, this brings the total number of confirmed patients to seven, while an eighth case has been listed as ‘probable’ by the World Health Organization.
One of the five French nationals who were on the ship is among those to have tested positive. The woman started to feel unwell on Sunday evening, 10 May, according to Health Minister Stéphanie Rist. In Spain, one of the fourteen evacuees has tested positive for the hantavirus.
The last confirmed case concerns an American passenger. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the patient tested positive at a biochemical unit in Nebraska and is being monitored alongside fifteen others at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“We had a CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] team at Tenerife. We had aeroplanes ready to take the patients. We have this under control, and we’re not worried about it,” commented Secretary of Health Robert F Kennedy Jr on the situation.
#Hantavirus is not COVID, and the risk to the people of Tenerife is low because of the nature of the disease and the actions of the Spanish government.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) May 10, 2026
I commend Spain’s response, in line with the International Health Regulations, and the strong show of solidarity by Prime… pic.twitter.com/bqANrg5U0W
Although the World Health Organization’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has reassured passengers aboard by stating that the risk of another pandemic is low, the WHO has recommended 42 days of isolation for those leaving the MV Hondius. The U.S., however, has decided not to follow its guidelines, which “may have risks,” according to the director general.
