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WHO Warning: You Need to Prepare for Hantavirus

2026-05-12 16:20:08Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

WHO Warning: You Need to Prepare for Hantavirus

The head of the World Health Organization has told countries to prepare for more cases of hantavirus after the outbreak aboard the MV Hondius and thanked Spain for the "compassion and solidarity" it had shown by accepting the stricken ship and evacuating its passengers and crew.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged authorities to follow WHO advice and recommendations, which include a 42-day quarantine and continuous monitoring of high-risk contacts.

"At the moment, there are no signs that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak, but of course the situation could change and, given the long incubation period of the virus, it is possible that we will see more cases in the coming weeks," he said at a press conference in Madrid on Tuesday.

The MV Hondius, which was sailing from Argentina to Cape Verde, was at the center of the outbreak after three passengers – a Dutch couple and a German national – died from the virus. Although usually spread by wild rodents, hantavirus can be transmitted from person to person in rare cases of close contact.

The WHO has so far confirmed nine cases of the Andean variant of the virus, including a French woman and a US citizen who tested positive after being evacuated from the ship. The Spanish health ministry said on Tuesday that one of 14 Spaniards evacuated from the ship and quarantined at a military hospital in Madrid had tested positive for hantavirus and was showing symptoms.

“The patient who tested provisionally positive yesterday has been confirmed positive for hantavirus,” she said in a statement. “The patient presented with a low-grade fever and mild respiratory symptoms yesterday, but is currently stable and showing no apparent clinical deterioration.”

Tedros, who was speaking alongside Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, said more cases were likely to emerge due to the level of interaction between passengers on board the ship before the alert was raised and the first case was confirmed in a passenger on May 2.

Tedros, who spoke alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, said more cases were likely to emerge due to the high level of contact between passengers on board before the alarm was raised and the first case was confirmed in a passenger on May 2.

“We expect there to be more cases, because as you may recall, the first case on the ship was on April 6th… and there was a lot of interaction between passengers. And as you know, the incubation period is also six to eight weeks. So, because of the contacts they had while they were still on the ship, especially before they started implementing preventive measures against infection, we expect there to be more cases as a result of what happened during the trip,” he said.

Tedros added that responsibility for evacuated citizens now lies with the respective countries after the evacuation operation is completed.

"I hope that countries will take care of patients and passengers, helping them and at the same time protecting their citizens. That is what we expect," the WHO head said.

The WHO head also praised the Spanish government and the people of Spain for their response to the situation of passengers on board the ship, after Cape Verde authorities refused to give it permission to dock.

More than 120 passengers and crew members were evacuated from Tenerife during a carefully coordinated operation on Sunday and Monday.

“I want to thank Spain and especially Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for the extraordinary leadership and coordination,” he said. “I think this is a model – and I hope other countries can learn from it – not only for the institutional commitment, but also for the compassion and solidarity that Spain has shown.”

He added that, in a "divided and divisive world," kindness and caring for each other remain very important.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also shared the same position, stating:

"This world doesn't need more selfishness or more fear. It needs countries that show solidarity and that want to move forward."

The Spanish Prime Minister once again expressed his condolences to the family of a Guardia Civil officer, who lost his life from a heart attack while participating in the evacuation operation on Sunday.

Despite objections from the regional government of the Canary Islands, the central government of Spain allowed the MV Hondius to anchor in the port of Tenerife and then, for a short period, even enter the dock while the evacuation operation took place.

The last two planes with passengers and crew members left the island on Monday evening and arrived in the Netherlands early Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the MV Hondius, after being supplied with fuel and supplies in Tenerife, has set sail for the port of Rotterdam with 25 crew members on board, as well as a doctor and a nurse.


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