Spain readies for evacuations as a hantavirus-hit cruise ship heads for Canary Islands

"They will arrive at a completely isolated, cordoned-off area. The MV Hondius is a Dutch-flagged vessel and Dutch officials said Friday they were also in close contact with the ship's owner and authorities of countries whose citizens are on board. The United States has agreed to send a plane to the Canary Islands to repatriate its 17 citizens from the cruise ship, Barcones said. The British government also said it will charter a plane to evacuate the nearly two dozen British citizens onboard."

"At least three passengers have died, and several other people are sick. The World Health Organization considers the risk to the wider public from the outbreak as low. Hantavirus is usually spread by the inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings and isn't easily transmitted between people. Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure. None of the remaining passengers or crew on the ship is currently symptomatic, the Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship company said Thursday."

"Health authorities across four continents were continuing to track down and monitor passengers who disembarked the ship before the deadly outbreak was detected. They are also trying to trace others who may have come into contact with them since then. On April 24, nearly two weeks after the first passenger had died on board, more than two dozen people from at least 12 different countries left the ship without contact tracing, the ship's operator and Dutch officials said Thur"

Spanish emergency services are preparing to receive more than 140 passengers and crew from the MV Hondius, a Dutch-flagged cruise ship headed for the Canary Islands. Health officials plan careful evacuations at a completely isolated, cordoned-off area when the ship reaches Tenerife on Saturday or Sunday. The United States will send a plane to repatriate 17 citizens, and the British government will charter a plane for nearly two dozen British citizens. At least three passengers have died and several others are sick, while none of the remaining passengers or crew are currently symptomatic. The World Health Organization considers the risk to the wider public low because hantavirus is usually spread through contaminated rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people. Authorities across multiple continents are tracking passengers who disembarked before the outbreak was detected and tracing potential contacts since then.

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