SouthernWorldwide.com – World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has stated he will personally oversee the complex process of evacuating over 100 individuals from a cruise ship experiencing a hantavirus outbreak.
The virus is rare and deadly. Dr. Tedros communicated his commitment in a letter addressed to the residents of the Canary Islands. The ship is scheduled to anchor off the coast of Tenerife, the largest island in the archipelago.
“I will be there myself,” Dr. Tedros declared in his letter. He expressed his intention to travel to Tenerife to witness the operation firsthand. He also aims to stand with the health workers, port staff, and officials involved in the evacuation.
Furthermore, he wishes to personally pay his respects to the island. He acknowledged that Tenerife has responded to a challenging situation with grace, solidarity, and compassion. Dr. Tedros emphasized that the island’s humanity deserves to be witnessed, not merely acknowledged from a distance.
The cruise ship is currently en route to Tenerife. It is anticipated to arrive just before dawn on Sunday, local time. This corresponds to approximately midnight U.S. Eastern time, according to officials.
Health officials have confirmed that nine individuals on board the ship have either confirmed or suspected cases of hantavirus. Tragically, three people have died. Oceanwide Expeditions, the owner of the vessel, reported that none of the 147 people currently on board are showing symptoms.
Among those on the MV Hondius are 17 Americans. Oceanwide Expeditions confirmed this number. These American passengers will be transferred from the ship via a small boat. Upon reaching the shore, they will proceed directly to a waiting plane on the runway.
The U.S. government is providing the aircraft. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is overseeing this operation. The plane will transport the Americans to the National Quarantine Center at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, as confirmed by the CDC.
“I’m sure they’re very anxious to get home, but (we need) to make sure they do that in the most safe way possible,” stated Maria van Kerkhove. She is the WHO’s acting director of the Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention. She made these remarks during a press conference on Saturday.
Each country with passengers aboard the ship will implement a similar evacuation procedure. This will involve transferring passengers to awaiting planes, according to the Spanish Health Ministry.
The WHO has recommended a specific quarantine period for passengers removed from the ship. They advised that each country should keep these individuals in isolation for 42 days from their last potential exposure to the virus.
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Hantavirus is typically contracted through close contact with rodents. It is generally not transmitted from person to person. However, testing of the individuals who fell ill on the Hondius has confirmed they contracted the Andes strain of the virus.
This particular strain is the only known variation capable of transmission through close contact with an infected individual. Despite this, health experts assess the likelihood of widespread transmission as very low.
“I know that when you hear the word ‘outbreak’ and watch a ship sail toward your shores, memories surface that none of us have fully put to rest,” Dr. Tedros acknowledged in his letter. He recognized the lingering pain from 2020, stating he does not dismiss it for a single moment.
He stressed the importance of clarity: “But I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID.” Dr. Tedros reiterated that the current public health risk associated with hantavirus remains low. He stated this unequivocally and repeated it for emphasis.
The ship embarked on its journey from Argentina on April 1. The cruise included stops at several remote islands in the South Atlantic. These destinations included Tristan da Cunha and Saint Helena, both of which are British territories.
The outbreak on the ship appears to have originated with a Dutch couple. They had traveled extensively around South America in the months preceding the cruise. South America is the only region where the Andes strain of hantavirus exists.
The couple reportedly spent time bird-watching in areas known to have rodents that tested positive for hantavirus. This information comes from Oceanwide Expeditions. The husband passed away on the ship on April 11.
His wife was among the 32 individuals who disembarked the ship in Saint Helena. Oceanwide Expeditions provided this detail. She subsequently flew to South Africa. Tragically, she died days later after being removed from a KLM Airlines plane. The reason for her removal was that she was too ill to fly, according to the airline.
Dozens of people who were on the plane or disembarked at Saint Helena are now under observation globally. This includes individuals in the United States. State health departments in Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Arizona, New Jersey, and California have confirmed to CBS News that none of these individuals are currently experiencing any symptoms of the virus.
