Yesterday the World Health Organization made the Point on the spread of the Hantavirus on board the ship from Hondius cruise that caused three deaths ( of 4 May 2026). Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director general of the WHO, specified that so far there have been reports of A total of eight cases, of which five were confirmed as hantavirus, and precisely the Andes virus, the only species known in can be transmitted in a limited way between human beings as a result of close and prolonged contact. "Although it is a serious accident - Tedros specified - the WHO assesses the risk to public health as a bottom". Mr Tedros pointed out that, in consideration of the incubation period which is between one and eight weeks after exposure, "it is possible that other cases be reported".

The WHO sent an expert on board the ship to help to carry out a complete medical evaluation of all passengers and crew, also collecting information to assess the their risk of infection.

The Oceanwide Expeditions company, which operates the Hondius, listed the steps taken by the ship during the last cruise. On April 1, 114 passengers were on board of the Hondius at the departure from Ushuaia, Argentina. The 11th April a first passenger died. On 15 April, other six passengers boarded at Tristan da Cunha, located between Ushuaia and St. Helena. Of the 120 passengers on board the ship upon arrival in St. Helena, 30 disembarked on April 24, including the body of the deceased person accompanied by his wife who is she too died on the return journey home. A third passenger on board died on May 2.

The company has therefore announced that the ship is headed to the Canary Islands, in particular to the port of Granadilla (Tenerife), where it is expected to arrive in the early hours of Sunday, and that there are no symptomatic people on board. However, today the president of the government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, said the cruise ship will not dock in the port of Granadilla, which is not equipped for the disembarkation of passengers, but will remain at anchor, and therefore will not touch the coast of the Canary Islands and its passengers will be transferred by sea to the airport. Clavijo specified that if there are no will be crew members who need medical assistance, the Hondius should then leave immediately for Holland.

Meanwhile, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), in Follow-up of news about a crew member of the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines aircraft that was hospitalized after coming into contact with a passenger of the ship who died later due to of hantavirus. urged governments and authorities to exercise the utmost caution in the transport of passengers and crew of 61 seafarers from the Hondius. In In particular, the union has demanded that all passengers and the ship's crew are transported on medical flights dedicated systems, equipped with protocols for infectious diseases and staff qualified doctor, regardless of the presence or Fewer symptoms in passengers and crew.