Panic after hantavirus-hit cruise evacuation: French national falls sick mid-air as virus scare grows

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said all five citizens were immediately placed under strict isolation upon arrival as a precautionary measure.

In a post on X, he wrote: “Five of our compatriots present on the MV Hondius, a hotbed of hantavirus infection, have been repatriated to national territory. One of them exhibited symptoms on the repatriation flight.”

He added that all five passengers were placed in strict isolation without delay, are receiving medical care, and will undergo comprehensive testing and health assessments. “Starting this evening, I will issue a decree to implement appropriate isolation measures for close contacts and to protect the general population,” he said.

International evacuation after outbreak at sea

Passengers and crew from the cruise ship MV Hondius began disembarking in Tenerife on Sunday as part of a coordinated international public health operation led by Spanish authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO). Officials sought to reassure the public that the situation is under control, emphasizing that the outbreak “is not another COVID.”

The vessel arrived near the Canary Islands after weeks at sea, following an outbreak of hantavirus that has already claimed three lives. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is overseeing the response in Tenerife, said the risk to the general public remains low.

“This is not another COVID,” he told reporters, adding that people “shouldn’t be scared and they shouldn’t panic.”

Cases and response measures

Authorities have confirmed eight cases linked to the ship, including six laboratory-confirmed infections of hantavirus caused by the Andes virus (ANDV). No new deaths have been reported since May 2.

Disembarkation began early Sunday, with Spanish health teams boarding the vessel to assess passengers before transferring them ashore in phases based on nationality and flight arrangements. Passengers and crew from Spain, France, Canada, and the Netherlands were among the first evacuated.

Around 46 people were expected to disembark initially, while approximately 30 crew members are set to remain on board as the ship returns to the Netherlands with medical supervision.

About hantavirus

Hantavirus is a rare but potentially severe disease typically spread through contact with infected rodents. The Andes strain involved in this outbreak is the only known variant capable of limited human-to-human transmission, although WHO maintains that overall transmission risk remains low.

The response operation involves coordination between Spanish health authorities, the Netherlands, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and WHO teams on the ground.