Hantavirus outbreak forces evacuation of cruise ship near Tenerife

Multiple European nations are coordinating an emergency evacuation of the cruise ship Hondius following a hantavirus outbreak aboard the vessel. The ship is expected to arrive in Tenerife on Sunday morning, according to German public broadcaster Tagesschau.

Once docked, health authorities will conduct medical screenings of all passengers and crew members aboard the ship. Passengers showing symptoms or testing positive will be transported via emergency evacuation flights back to their home countries. The World Health Organization is monitoring the situation and is assessing contagion protocols.

Hantavirus is a serious respiratory illness spread primarily through contact with infected rodent droppings. The outbreak's scale and number of confirmed cases have not yet been disclosed. Authorities have not identified how the virus entered the ship or which nationalities require evacuation flights.