First Cruise Passengers Evacuated From Hantavirus Ship Arrive in Madrid

The first group of passengers evacuated from a cruise ship hit by a hantavirus outbreak has arrived in Madrid after the vessel docked near Spain’s Canary Islands.

Fourteen Spanish nationals were flown from Tenerife on a chartered aircraft and will now undergo mandatory quarantine at a military hospital in the Spanish capital. Before boarding the plane, emergency workers dressed the evacuees in white protective suits and disinfected them on the airport tarmac.

Authorities are evacuating passengers according to nationality, with French citizens reportedly next to leave the island. At sunrise, the ship remained anchored offshore under tight security, with military police boats patrolling nearby as officials coordinated the disembarkation of more than 100 passengers and crew members. Around 07:00 local time, medical teams boarded the vessel to screen everyone for symptoms of the virus.

Passengers wearing white medical face masks were seen standing on deck or looking through cabin windows as the first evacuations began. Some evacuees sat apart from each other on the transfer boat, recording videos and taking photos while heading to shore, where officials in protective gear received them before transporting them by bus to the airport.

A separate evacuation flight arranged by the Netherlands for Dutch, Greek, German passengers and part of the crew was expected to follow. Additional flights are also planned for the UK and the US, while the final evacuation flight to Australia is scheduled for Monday.

Cruise passengers may have to self-isolate after leaving Tenerife because the virus can incubate for up to nine weeks.The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised a 42-day quarantine period from the date of last exposure.

British passengers will first be taken to a secure isolation centre for up to 72 hours before medics determine whether they can continue isolation at home or another suitable place. Spanish authorities prepared extensively for the ship’s arrival and did not allow it to dock directly at shore. A one-nautical-mile security zone was enforced around the vessel.

At Tenerife’s Candelaria hospital, dozens of intensive care specialists were placed on standby in case any passenger becomes critically ill during the operation. The hospital has an isolation ward specially equipped for infectious diseases, including testing equipment and ventilators.“We are absolutely ready,” said intensive care chief Dr Mar Martin, adding that although the hospital had never dealt with hantavirus before, staff were trained to manage viral infections safely.

Health Minister Mónica García described the operation to contain the rare Andes strain of the virus as “unprecedented”.She also reassured the public that the risk of infection to the wider population remains low, warning against panic and misinformation.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is overseeing the operation in Tenerife, said the evacuation process was progressing smoothly.

The outbreak has been linked to a landfill site in southern Argentina that is popular with birdwatchers. The virus is spread by rodents, and human-to-human transmission is considered rare, although three cruise passengers have reportedly died.