A picture taken that shows a World Health Organization (WHO) sign at its headquarters on January 12, 2020 (AFP Photo)
May 27, 2026 12:22 PM GMT+03:00
Spain has confirmed a new hantavirus case among individuals under preventive quarantine at a Madrid hospital, bringing the total number of cases linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak to 13, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday.
“The situation remains stable. Passengers who got sick are receiving needed care, while others remain in quarantine,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.
The newly confirmed case is the second positive case among 14 Spanish nationals who were evacuated to Tenerife from MV Hondius, a luxury liner that was carrying approximately 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries.
Hantavirus samples are displayed in a photo illustration in Ankara, Türkiye, May 6, 2026. (AA Photo)
Situation remains stable
Spain’s Health Ministry said the case was detected during periodic diagnostic checks carried out on individuals under follow-up. The patient had already been under clinical surveillance and isolation since admission, in accordance with established protocols.
Following confirmation via PCR testing, the patient was transferred to the High-Level Isolation Unit at Gomez Ulla Hospital to remain under specialized medical supervision and strict biosafety measures.
“The detection of the case has occurred within the already activated isolation and control system, so it does not alter the risk situation for the general population,” the ministry said.
The first Spanish case was announced on May 11, when Spain’s health minister confirmed that one passenger aboard the MV Hondius had tested positive for hantavirus shortly after authorities completed the vessel’s evacuation operation.
In the last two weeks, all remaining passengers, crew members and medical staff disembarked the ship.
Hantavirus is a rare disease usually transmitted through infected rodents or their droppings.
The strain behind this outbreak, the Andes virus, can also spread between humans through prolonged close contact, often in enclosed settings.
The WHO estimates there are 10,000 to 100,000 human hantavirus cases globally each year, with severity varying by strain.
May 27, 2026 12:23 PM GMT+03:00