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WHO Confirms Five Hantavirus Cases Linked to MV Hondius as Evacuations Advance

Health agencies isolate patients under strict care to contain any further spread.

Overview

  • WHO now counts five laboratory‑confirmed Andes‑variant infections tied to the MV Hondius, plus three suspected cases and three deaths, and it assumes person‑to‑person spread occurred on board.
  • Two medical flights moved evacuees to Europe, with one patient confirmed positive and isolated at Radboudumc and another reported stable at Düsseldorf’s university hospital.
  • Spain ordered the cruise ship to Tenerife for a controlled arrival and disembarkation, while Canary Islands leaders publicly opposed receiving the vessel.
  • Dutch authorities are tracing 388 people from a JohannesburgAmsterdam KLM flight after a traveler later died, with public‑health teams warning incubation can stretch to about two months.
  • Spain expects to coordinate passenger pickup and repatriation in Tenerife under national and EU plans, and hospitals in Leiden and Nijmegen have activated isolation units and specialist teams.