Germany, US mobilize aircraft for hantavirus evacuation off Tenerife

Germany and the United States are among nations deploying aircraft to evacuate citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the vessel, according to Deutsche Welle.

The ship is expected to arrive in Tenerife, Spain, on Sunday morning, where passengers and crew will be removed under strict safety protocols. Hantavirus is a potentially fatal respiratory illness transmitted through contact with infected rodent droppings or urine.

Multiple countries have confirmed they are sending evacuation flights to retrieve their nationals from the infected vessel. The coordinated international response reflects the severity of the outbreak, though exact case numbers remain unclear from available reports.

Authorities in Spain are coordinating the disembarkation procedures as the vessel approaches the islands. The evacuation marks one of the largest coordinated health emergency responses in recent European cruise operations.