Health and Me

Rachel V Thomas

Hantavirus: 2 Indian Crew Members On MV Hondius Asymptomatic; How Passengers Were Evacuated?

Two Indian nationals onboard the hantavirus-hit <span>MV Hondius cruise ship</span> are healthy and unsymptomatic, the Embassy of India in Madrid said on May 10. 

The Dutch-flagged vessel <span>MV Hondius</span>, with more than 90 people, including two Indian Crew members, arrived in Spain's <span>Canary Islands</span> on May 10. 

They have been medically evacuated to the Netherlands, the embassy said. 

"The 2 Indian nationals are healthy and asymptomatic. As informed by the Spanish National Center for Emergency Monitoring and Coordination (CENEM), the 2 Indian nationals who were travelling as crew members have been evacuated to the Netherlands, where they will be quarantined as per relevant health safety protocol," it said, in a statement.

While the residents of the Canary Islands had voiced concerns that its arrival could pose a potential health risk, the Spanish government, in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), agreed to allow passengers to disembark in the Canary Islands this weekend. The ship had travelled from Cape Verde, where three people were evacuated earlier due to illness. 

All the passengers onboard disembarked from the ship in accordance with the protocol established by the WHO and the Spanish authorities. 

"The Ambassador is in close contact with the Spanish authorities and the 2 Indian nationals (crew members) and is regularly monitoring the situation to assure the well-being and safety of the Indian nationals," the statement further added. 

<h2>How Were The Passengers Evacuated?</h2> 

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the MV Hondius had six passengers with confirmed cases of <span>hantavirus</span> and two with suspected cases. 

Three of those people have died, officials said, including two who died while aboard the ship.

An image of passengers disembarking from the ship on Sunday showed people dressed in personal protective equipment being taken to shore aboard a small boat, NBC News reported. 

The first plane carrying passengers departed Tenerife for the Spanish capital Madrid shortly afterward. 

Earlier, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s head of epidemic and pandemic preparedness, said that after being brought to shore, passengers will be kept cordoned off from the public and taken to repatriation flights. 

In their home countries, many will be taken onward to isolation facilities. Van Kerkhove said that the WHO is recommending “active monitoring and follow-up” for all passengers and crew for 42 days from their “last point of exposure” to a confirmed case. 

Speaking to reporters in Tenerife on Sunday, Monica Garcia, Spain’s Minister of Health, said that all passengers on the ship continue to be “asymptomatic.” 

Hantavirus Alert: Expert Explains How It May Affect Your Body #hantavirus

Garcia said passengers from the Netherlands would be the next group to leave the vessel, with their plane also carrying German, Belgian, and Greek passengers, as well as part of the crew.

Once ashore, the passengers were expected to be transferred onto buses and taken to the local airport. Passengers from Turkey, France, ⁠the UK, and the US will then be evacuated, followed by six people from “Australia, New Zealand and Asia,” she said, as part of the last flight planned for Monday.

<strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/hantavirus-outbreak-how-mv-hondius-passengers-will-be-screened-and-evacuated-article-154282451" data-type="tilCustomLink">Hantavirus Outbreak: How MV Hondius Passengers Will Be Screened And Evacuated</a>

<h2>WHO, CDC, ECDC Teams Monitoring Arrivals </h2>

In its latest briefing, the UN health body said emergency response teams, including experts from the Netherlands and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), are coordinating efforts to manage the situation and assess all passengers and crew upon arrival.

A WHO official is currently on board alongside two Dutch healthcare workers and an ECDC expert. 

WHO Technical Officer Anais Legand said health teams will review the exposure history of every passenger and crew member to determine who may face a higher risk of infection. 

<strong>Read More: </strong><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/who-says-6-week-hantavirus-incubation-raises-concern-but-no-epidemic-risk-article-154269945" data-type="tilCustomLink">WHO Says 6-Week Hantavirus Incubation Raises Concern, But No Epidemic Risk</a>

Passengers will also be screened for symptoms such as fever, fatigue, or signs of illness. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it plans to evacuate American passengers aboard the ship on a US government medical repatriation flight to Omaha, Nebraska.

Health Conditions A-Z

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hantavirus

hantavirus outbreak

MV Hondius

Indians on MV Hondius

MV Hondius cruise ship

Hantavirus MV Hondius Passengers Evacuated

Canary Islands

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Two Indian nationals onboard the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius cruise ship are healthy and unsymptomatic, the Embassy of India in Madrid said on May 10. The Dutch-flagged vessel MV Hondius, with more than 90 people, including two Indian Crew members, arrived in Spain's Canary Islands on May 10. They have been medically evacuated to the Netherlands, the embassy said. "The 2 Indian nationals are healthy and asymptomatic. As informed by the Spanish National Center for Emergency Monitoring and Coordination (CENEM), the 2 Indian nationals who were travelling as crew members have been evacuated to the Netherlands, where they will be quarantined as per relevant health safety protocol," it said, in a statement.      Press Release on 2 Indian nationals onboard the MV Hondius vessel———Comunicado de prensa sobre dos ciudadanos indios a bordo del buque MV Hondius@MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @PIB_India @AmbSibiGeorge pic.twitter.com/hbfdCZTmW5&mdash; India in Spain (@IndiainSpain) May 10, 2026 ]]> While the residents of the Canary Islands had voiced concerns that its arrival could pose a potential health risk, the Spanish government, in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), agreed to allow passengers to disembark in the Canary Islands this weekend. The ship had travelled from Cape Verde, where three people were evacuated earlier due to illness. All the passengers onboard disembarked from the ship in accordance with the protocol established by the WHO and the Spanish authorities. "The Ambassador is in close contact with the Spanish authorities and the 2 Indian nationals (crew members) and is regularly monitoring the situation to assure the well-being and safety of the Indian nationals," the statement further added. How Were The Passengers Evacuated? As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the MV Hondius had six passengers with confirmed cases of hantavirus and two with suspected cases. Three of those people have died, officials said, including two who died while aboard the ship. An image of passengers disembarking from the ship on Sunday showed people dressed in personal protective equipment being taken to shore aboard a small boat, NBC News reported. The first plane carrying passengers departed Tenerife for the Spanish capital Madrid shortly afterward.       Earlier, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s head of epidemic and pandemic preparedness, said that after being brought to shore, passengers will be kept cordoned off from the public and taken to repatriation flights. In their home countries, many will be taken onward to isolation facilities. Van Kerkhove said that the WHO is recommending “active monitoring and follow-up” for all passengers and crew for 42 days from their “last point of exposure” to a confirmed case. Speaking to reporters in Tenerife on Sunday, Monica Garcia, Spain’s Minister of Health, said that all passengers on the ship continue to be “asymptomatic.”       Garcia said passengers from the Netherlands would be the next group to leave the vessel, with their plane also carrying German, Belgian, and Greek passengers, as well as part of the crew. Once ashore, the passengers were expected to be transferred onto buses and taken to the local airport. Passengers from Turkey, France, ⁠the UK, and the US will then be evacuated, followed by six people from “Australia, New Zealand and Asia,” she said, as part of the last flight planned for Monday.Also read: Hantavirus Outbreak: How MV Hondius Passengers Will Be Screened And EvacuatedWHO, CDC, ECDC Teams Monitoring Arrivals  In its latest briefing, the UN health body said emergency response teams, including experts from the Netherlands and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), are coordinating efforts to manage the situation and assess all passengers and crew upon arrival. A WHO official is currently on board alongside two Dutch healthcare workers and an ECDC expert. WHO Technical Officer Anais Legand said health teams will review the exposure history of every passenger and crew member to determine who may face a higher risk of infection. Read More: WHO Says 6-Week Hantavirus Incubation Raises Concern, But No Epidemic RiskPassengers will also be screened for symptoms such as fever, fatigue, or signs of illness. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it plans to evacuate American passengers aboard the ship on a US government medical repatriation flight to Omaha, Nebraska.