Spain to receive quarantined cruise ship amid deadly outbreak at sea

Spain will receive the MV Hondius in the Canary Islands after Cape Verde refused the Dutch-flagged expedition ship permission to dock in Praia, a move the Spanish government said was being handled under international law and humanitarian principles. The vessel, operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, was expected to begin a three- to four-day journey to Spanish territory, with authorities still deciding whether it would go first to Gran Canaria or Tenerife once sick passengers were transferred off board.

The case has become a test of maritime and public-health containment because hantavirus is uncommon in people and person-to-person spread is unusual. The World Health Organization said the risk to the general public remained low, even as it reported seven cases aboard the ship, two laboratory-confirmed and five suspected, with at least three deaths. Officials said the illness appeared among passengers and crew between April 6 and April 29, and possible human-to-human transmission may have occurred among very close contacts such as a husband and wife or people sharing cabins.

Three sick people were evacuated ashore on Tuesday for medical transfer, including two crew members and a close contact of one of the deceased patients. Spain identified one of the evacuees as a medical doctor requested by the Dutch government. Oceanwide Expeditions said two crew members, one British and one Dutch, needed urgent medical care, while specialized aircraft were being used to move the patients through Cape Verde to the Netherlands. One British national was said to be in critical condition in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The ship carried 147 people in total, 88 passengers and 59 crew members, and travelers came from 23 countries, including 17 Americans. Those still aboard were being kept in isolation, masked, distanced from one another, and served meals in their cabins as authorities waited for the evacuation and arrival plan to be completed.

The Hondius episode has drawn attention because the public-health stakes are narrow but serious: hantavirus can be severe, but the broader risk outside close contact remains low. Spain’s decision to accept the vessel now hinges on containing that limited risk while honoring the obligation to assist a ship in distress and move the outbreak response onto land under controlled conditions.