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.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has recently announced that "three suspected hantavirus case patients have just been evacuated from the ship and are on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands in coordination with WHO, the ship’s operator and national authorities from Cabo Verde, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands."

"At this stage, the overall public health risk remains low," the official added. 

The evacuation decision came 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."

Canary Islands President Not Happy with the Decision

In a surprising turn of events, Canary Islands president, Fernando Clavijo, informed the public that he "requested a meeting with President Sánchez due to the lack of coordination and information regarding the cruise ship affected by a Hantavirus outbreak" today, May 6.

"Canarias always acts with responsibility, but it cannot accept decisions taken behind the backs of the Canary Islands institutions and without sufficient information to the population," the president added.

"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."

Another Hantavirus Case Reported in Switzerland

The World Health Organization has today (May 6, 2026) issued a new update on X, saying that "Swiss authorities have confirmed a case of hantavirus identified in a passenger from the MV Hondius cruise ship.:

The passengers, who had responded to an email from the ship’s operator meant to inform passengers of the recent health event, "presented himself to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, and is receiving care."

"As of 6 May, there are 8 cases, 3 of whom are confirmed as hantavirus by laboratory testing," further added the WHO.

The organization explained the type of virus in the outbreak "has been confirmed as Andes hantavirus by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, South Africa, and the Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland."