Hantavirus: Passengers evacuate off MV Hondius in Tenerife

"The virus-hit MV Hondius arrived off the Spanish port of Granadilla, Tenerife. The vessel did not dock and is anchored in the harbor. None of the remaining passengers or crew have shown symptoms of infection, though all will be tested. The US, the UK, and several European countries are dispatched aircraft to evacuate their citizens. The head of the World Health Organization said the risk posed by the hantavirus outbreak remains low."

"The ship has not docked but anchored in the harbor, with people ferried off in small launch boats. The first group of passengers, all Spanish nationals, have disembarked from the Hondius and been transported ashore on the Spanish island of Tenerife. They are set to board military buses that will take them to the airport, where they will fly on a military plane to Madrid. Once there, they will be placed in quarantine. Dutch nationals are expected to be the next to leave the vessel."

"A medical team has now boarded the MV Hondius and is conducting an epidemiological investigation, according to the Spanish Health Ministry. After a British national with a suspected hantavirus infection disembarked from the Hondius on the island of Tristan da Cunha, the UK military parachuted "specialist paratroopers and military clinicians" onto the Britis"

The virus-hit MV Hondius arrived off the Spanish port of Granadilla in Tenerife and did not dock, remaining anchored in the harbor. People were ferried off in small launch boats. The first group of passengers, all Spanish nationals, disembarked and were transported by military buses to the airport, then flown on a military plane to Madrid for quarantine. Dutch nationals are expected to leave next. A medical team boarded the vessel to conduct an epidemiological investigation under the Spanish Health Ministry. The World Health Organization head said the risk posed by the hantavirus outbreak remains low. The UK deployed a medical team to the remote Tristan da Cunha island after a British national with suspected infection disembarked from the ship.

Read at www.dw.com