MADRID: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that efforts to contain hantavirus are ongoing after a deadly outbreak aboard a cruise ship prompted large-scale evacuations from Spain.
Speaking in Madrid alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that although the immediate risk remains low, monitoring must continue due to the virus’s incubation period.
“Our work is not over,” Tedros said, adding that while there is “no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak,” the situation could still evolve in the coming weeks.
Health authorities have been responding after an outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius, where three passengers died from hantavirus infection. The incident triggered international concern and coordinated evacuation efforts involving more than 120 passengers and crew, flown out from Spain’s Canary Islands.
Tedros noted that different countries have adopted varying responses for returning passengers, though WHO guidelines recommend up to 42 days of quarantine and close monitoring of high-risk contacts.
He urged countries to follow WHO recommendations, saying, “I hope they will follow the advice and recommendations we are making.”
The situation also created diplomatic and logistical challenges, as governments debated responsibility for receiving and treating evacuees. Cape Verde refused to allow the ship to dock, leaving it anchored offshore while some patients were airlifted to Europe.
Spain permitted the vessel to anchor off the Canary Islands to facilitate evacuation, though regional authorities in the archipelago expressed strong opposition to the decision.
Prime Minister Sánchez defended his government’s response, saying, “The world does not need more selfishness or more fear. What it needs are countries that show solidarity and want to step forward.”
Health officials continue to stress that hantavirus does not spread easily between humans and that the overall global risk remains low, but surveillance and containment efforts are still ongoing.
