Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands will send aircraft to evacuate their citizens from the cruise ship linked to a suspected hantavirus outbreak, as international concern grows over the health emergency aboard the vessel.
Spanish authorities confirmed on Saturday that the countries had coordinated evacuation plans for nationals travelling on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius, which is currently heading toward Spain after being denied permission to dock in Cape Verde.
The ship has been at the centre of a growing international health scare following the deaths of three passengers and the isolation of nearly 150 people onboard after suspected exposure to hantavirus, a rare disease primarily spread through infected rodents.
Spain’s interior minister said European governments were working together to organize medical screenings, quarantine procedures and repatriation flights once passengers disembark.
The latest move comes as health authorities across multiple countries intensify efforts to trace passengers and monitor possible infections linked to the outbreak.
The World Health Organization has confirmed that at least one case of hantavirus has been laboratory verified, while several additional suspected cases remain under investigation.
The outbreak has already claimed the lives of two Dutch nationals and one German passenger. Other travellers and crew members reportedly developed severe respiratory symptoms during the voyage.
One British passenger remains in intensive care in Johannesburg, South Africa, after being medically evacuated from the ship earlier this month.
The MV Hondius had requested permission to dock in Cape Verde, but authorities refused entry, citing public health concerns and fears of wider transmission.
The vessel is now expected to continue toward Spain’s Canary Islands, where passengers may undergo further testing and emergency medical assessment before evacuation flights proceed.
Officials have not yet confirmed the exact source of the outbreak.
Health experts are investigating whether passengers may have been exposed during earlier stops in South America or whether infected rodents aboard the ship may have spread the virus during the voyage.
Although hantavirus infections are rare, the disease can cause severe respiratory illness and, in some cases, death.
The World Health Organization has maintained that the broader public risk remains low, but authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as passengers from more than 20 countries remain under medical observation.
