CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: PROF. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

World / Europe

'No symptomatic individuals' left on hantavirus cruise ship: operator

Published: 07 May 2026 - 01:22 pm | Last Updated: 07 May 2026 - 01:22 pm

AFP

The Hague: All passengers showing symptoms of the hantavirus have now been removed from the MV Hondius, its operator said in a statement on Thursday.

"No symptomatic individuals are present on board," said Oceanwide Expeditions, following the evacuation of three passengers to the Netherlands.

"All three individuals, two symptomatic and one asymptomatic, are now in the care of medical professionals," the firm added.

The MV Hondius ship, which had been on an Atlantic cruise, is heading from Cape Verde to the Canary Islands where about 100 remaining passengers and crew will be monitored and allowed to fly home.

The ship has been at the centre of an international alert since Saturday when the World Health Organization said it was told of a hantavirus outbreak on the vessel and that three peop