Hantavirus outbreak: WHO chief urges calm in Tenerife as cruise ship linked to illness prepares to dock on island
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged calm in Tenerife as a cruise ship linked to a hantavirus outbreak prepares to dock. Stressing that the risk to residents remains low, he said there are no symptomatic passengers on board and detailed safety measures are in place.
Amid the ongoing hantavirus outbreak, the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday (local time) addressed the people of Tenerife, as the Dutch-flagged cruise ship prepares to disembark exposed passengers in Tenerife.
In a rather lengthy post on X, the WHO Director-General addressed the concerns and wrote, "I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word 'outbreak or epidemic' and see a ship approaching your shores, memories surface that none of us has fully overcome. The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not minimise it for a moment."
Quick answers to key questions
Hantavirus is a serious illness that can spread through contact with rodents or their droppings. On the MV Hondius, the Andes strain of hantavirus was identified, which is rare as it can spread from person to person, likely through close contact.
Residents and dock workers in Tenerife are concerned due to the hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship, which has resulted in deaths. They fear potential health risks to the island community, recalling past pandemic experiences.
Passengers are being disembarked in Tenerife via a carefully planned operation. They are transferred to land in sealed vehicles at an industrial port away from residential areas and repatriated directly to their home countries, with no contact with the local population.
The WHO chief stated that this is not another COVID-19 outbreak. While hantavirus is serious, the public health risk from it in Tenerife was assessed as low, unlike the widespread impact of COVID-19.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed the public health risk from the hantavirus on the ship as low for the general population in Tenerife. They emphasize that strict protocols are in place to manage the situation.
'This is not another COVID-19': WHO chief
Tedros noted that this is not another COVID-19. He added, "The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have stated this unequivocally, and I repeat it now. The virus on board the MV Hondius is the Andes strain of hantavirus. It is serious. Three people have lost their lives, and our hearts are with their families. The risk to you, in your daily life in Tenerife, is low. This is the WHO's assessment, and we do not make it lightly."
Anger, frustration in Tenerife as hantavirus ship reaches island
His remarks come after the WHO confirmed the hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch-flagged cruise ship that has caused nine confirmed or suspected cases, including three deaths. The ship will disembark this weekend on the Spanish island of Tenerife after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government agreed with the WHO. The vessel has travelled from Cape Verde, where three people were evacuated due to illness.
According to a BBC report, on Friday, dock workers in Tenerife gathered outside the Canary Islands' parliament building in the town of Santa Cruz to voice concerns that the imminent arrival could pose a health risk to them.
No symptomatic passengers on board: Tedros
In his post addressing the concerns of Tenerife's residents, Tedros noted that currently there are no symptomatic passengers on board and that a WHO expert is also available on the ship, along with medical supplies.
He added that the Spanish authorities have prepared a careful and detailed plan to disembark the passengers, who will be transferred to land at the industrial port of Granadilla, away from residential areas, in sealed and guarded vehicles, through a fully cordoned corridor, and repatriated directly to their countries of origin. "You will not have contact with them, nor will your families," he claimed.
The WHO Director-General further went on to say that he will be visiting Tenerife to observe the operation firsthand. He said that he will travel "to stand alongside the health workers, port staff, and officials carrying it out, and to pay my personal tribute to an island that has responded to a difficult situation with dignity, solidarity, and compassion. Your humanity deserves to be witnessed, not just acknowledged from afar."
Hantavirus outbreak
Hantavirus usually spreads after coming into contact with rodents or their urine, saliva, or droppings, but the WHO said that while it is rare, the Andes strain of the virus may spread between people. According to a CBS News report, the WHO believes that the virus has been transmitted from person to person on the stricken ship, which was on a weeks-long polar cruise from Argentina to Antarctica and several isolated islands in the South Atlantic. When humans catch the virus, it has a mortality rate of up to 50 per cent.
WHO warns 12 countries amid outbreak
The WHO said that 12 countries have been connected, either directly or indirectly, to the hantavirus outbreak response efforts. Some nations are involved because passengers boarded the affected cruise ship or required medical evacuation, while others were alerted after their citizens were identified among travellers or transit passengers. The countries notified by the WHO include Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- Hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship has resulted in nine confirmed or suspected cases.
- The risk to the general public in Tenerife is assessed as low by WHO.
- WHO is coordinating international response efforts involving 12 countries.
About the Author
Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.
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