APTOPIX Spain Hantavirus Ship

Spanish Civil Guard officers stand guard in the area where passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship are expected to arrive at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Saturday, May 9, 2026.

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WHO head seeks to reassure residents of Spanish island where hantavirus-stricken ship is headed

WHO head seeks to reassure residents of Spanish island where hantavirus-stricken ship is headed

The head of the World Health Organization is seeking to reassure residents of the Spanish island of Tenerife worried about the anticipated arrival there of a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship. He issued a direct message to them Saturday stressing that the virus is “not another COVID.” The MV Hondius has more than 140 passengers and crew on board. It is headed to Spain’s Canary Islands, off the coast of West Africa. It is expected to arrive at the island of Tenerife early Sunday. Once there, the passengers and some crew will disembark. Officials say no one on the ship is currently showing symptoms of hantavirus.