Final Evacuations Underway for Passengers After Hantavirus Outbreak

(MENAFN) Authorities have confirmed that the last evacuation flights for passengers aboard a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak near Spain’s Tenerife are scheduled to depart on Monday afternoon, according to statements from Spain’s Health Ministry.

Health Minister Mónica García said on Sunday that 94 passengers had already been evacuated from the vessel as emergency operations continued.

Officials stated that the remaining evacuation efforts include an Australian repatriation flight carrying six passengers and a Dutch-operated flight transporting 18 individuals. The latter group also includes travelers from countries that did not organize separate evacuation arrangements, according to reports.

Earlier on Sunday, 14 Spanish nationals were the first to leave the ship. They were transported by military aircraft to Madrid, where they were transferred to a military hospital for quarantine and medical testing.

The evacuation process has sparked debate, with Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo raising objections. However, Spanish authorities dismissed concerns that infected rodents could reach the mainland or nearby islands, stating that the likelihood of an Andean rodent reaching the Canary coastline was “zero.”

Hantavirus is a rare illness typically associated with exposure to infected rodents or their droppings, although the strain involved in this outbreak is capable of limited human-to-human transmission.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified the situation as a Level 3 emergency response, indicating a moderate-level activation.

According to World Health Organization-related reporting, the outbreak has so far resulted in five confirmed infections, including three fatalities. Scientists have identified the responsible strain as the Andes variant of hantavirus, which is the only known form capable of spreading between humans, usually through close contact.

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