Lorraine Williamson
UPDATED: Monday 11 May 2026, 11.00 am
Spain is now at the centre of a major international health operation after passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship were evacuated in Tenerife following a deadly outbreak of Andes hantavirus.
The hantavirus cruise outbreak latest brings both reassurance and concern. Spain has so far ruled out suspected local infections in Alicante and Barcelona. However, France and the United States have reported new positive cases linked to passengers repatriated from the vessel.
The World Health Organisation has described the incident as serious, but continues to assess the wider public health risk as low. The virus involved is the Andes strain, a rare hantavirus that can, in limited circumstances, pass between people after close and prolonged contact.
At a glance
- Spain has quarantined 14 passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship at Gómez Ulla hospital in Madrid.
- Suspected hantavirus cases in Alicante and Barcelona have tested negative so far.
- France and the United States have confirmed new positive cases linked to repatriated passengers.
- The virus involved is the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can rarely spread between people after close contact.
- WHO and ECDC continue to assess the wider public health risk as low.
- The outbreak remains linked to the cruise ship and its passengers, not wider community transmission in Spain.
Spain’s passengers begin quarantine in Madrid
The 14 Spanish passengers evacuated from the MV Hondius are now in quarantine at the Gómez Ulla military hospital in Madrid.
According to Spain’s Ministry of Health, people considered contacts include those who were on the ship between April 1 and May 10, or who had close contact with a confirmed case. They must remain in individual rooms, receive PCR testing on arrival and again after seven days, and have their temperature checked twice daily.
RTVE reported on Monday morning that the Spanish passengers were asymptomatic after their first night in hospital. The initial judicial authorisation covers seven days of isolation, although WHO guidance points to a longer monitoring period because of the incubation window.
Suspected cases in Alicante and Barcelona test negative
Two women who were being monitored in Alicante and Barcelona after possible exposure have tested negative.
The Alicante patient, who had shown symptoms after possible contact linked to one of the Dutch victims, is expected to undergo a further precautionary test. The Barcelona patient has also tested negative and has remained asymptomatic, according to Spanish reports.
That means Spain has not confirmed any local infection outside the cruise ship group at the time of this update.
France and the US report new positives
France has confirmed that one of five French passengers repatriated from the MV Hondius has tested positive for hantavirus. French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said the woman’s condition had deteriorated, while the four other French passengers tested negative but will be retested. French authorities have also traced 22 close contacts.
In the United States, health officials said one of 17 Americans repatriated from the ship had tested mildly positive for the Andes strain. A second American passenger has mild symptoms, but has not been confirmed positive at the time of the Reuters update. Both were being transported in biocontainment units to specialist facilities in Nebraska.
The UK has also returned passengers to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral for monitoring and assessment. UKHSA said none of the returned passengers were symptomatic, while previous updates confirmed that two British nationals were among the confirmed cases linked to the outbreak.
What WHO and ECDC have confirmed
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that, as of May 10, eight cases had been reported: six confirmed and two probable. Three deaths have been recorded. The ECDC also said the risk to the general EU and EEA population remains very low.
WHO’s latest detailed outbreak report said the cluster was first reported on May 2, when severe respiratory illness was identified among passengers linked to the Dutch-flagged cruise ship. It was later confirmed that the Andes virus had been identified through sequencing.
The agency said investigations are continuing into the first likely exposure. Current evidence points to the first case probably acquiring the infection before boarding, most likely through environmental exposure in Argentina. WHO said later cases appear consistent with human-to-human transmission onboard, although investigations are still ongoing.
Why the Andes strain is different
Most hantaviruses are spread through contact with infected rodents, often through urine, droppings or saliva.
The Andes strain is unusual because it is the only known hantavirus species capable of limited human-to-human transmission. Even then, health authorities stress that transmission is normally linked to close and prolonged contact, not casual contact in public spaces.
This distinction matters. It explains why passengers and close contacts are being isolated and monitored, while officials continue to say the risk to the wider public remains low.
Evacuation from Tenerife nears completion
The MV Hondius arrived off Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife over the weekend. Spain then coordinated a complex evacuation involving passengers of multiple nationalities.
RTVE reported that 94 passengers from 19 nationalities were disembarked on Sunday. The final 24 passengers were due to leave on Monday, with flights to Australia and the Netherlands. Once the passenger operation is complete, the ship is expected to head towards the Netherlands with its 34 crew members before disinfection.
The countries involved in monitoring or repatriating passengers include the UK, US, France, Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands, as well as several others. However, not every country involved in repatriation has confirmed a positive case among its returning passengers.
What this means for people in Spain
For residents and visitors in Spain, the key point is that this remains a contained outbreak linked to a specific cruise ship and its passengers.
There is no evidence of wider transmission in Spain at this stage. The two suspected peninsular cases have tested negative, and the Spanish passengers from the ship are under controlled quarantine in Madrid.
The situation remains fluid, and more cases may still be detected as countries test and monitor passengers. That does not necessarily mean the outbreak is spreading in the community. It reflects the long incubation period and the number of countries now involved in tracing those who were on board or had close contact with confirmed cases.
A tightly controlled outbreak, but not over yet
The MV Hondius outbreak has become an international health operation because passengers travelled across several countries before the full picture was clear.
For now, the strongest message from health authorities is one of caution rather than panic. Spain has activated quarantine and monitoring measures. France and the US are treating new confirmed cases. The UK and other countries are following returned passengers through isolation and testing.
The coming days will show whether more infections emerge among those already under surveillance. For the general public in Spain, the risk remains low, but the story is likely to keep developing.