MV Hondius. Mystic Stock Photography / Shutterstock.com Spain's Health Ministry confirmed on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, that it will host the MV Hondius cruise ship in its Canary Islands, which was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean when it was hit with a wave of hantavirus infections that took the lives of three passengers.
The decision comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union "requested that the Government of Spain receive the MV Hondius vessel in the Canary Islands in compliance with International Law and humanitarian principles."
"At this time, the vessel is in Cape Verde, where it has put in after detecting an outbreak of hantavirus infection," the Health Ministry said in a statement on X.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is currently leading a "thorough examination of the ship to determine which people need to be urgently evacuated in Cape Verde itself. The rest will continue on to the Canary Islands, where they expect to arrive within 3 or 4 days."
Officials have not yet decided which port will host the vessel. However, once passengers reach it, "they will be properly examined, treated, and transferred to their respective countries."
The procedure itself will be closely coordinated in accordance to a special protocol developed by the WHO and the ECDC, "and will have all the necessary safety guarantees."
Spanish authorities also explained that medical care and transfers will be made using "special spaces and transports set up specifically for this situation, avoiding all contact with the local population and ensuring the safety of healthcare personnel at all times."
The Spanish government will release further protocol details "as soon as they are defined by the WHO and the ECDC. It will also provide timely updates on its implementation."