The World Health Organization said all persons aboard the cruise ship MV Hondius are high-risk contacts following a hantavirus outbreak [1].

This classification triggers mandatory health surveillance for everyone on the vessel to prevent a wider outbreak as the ship nears land. While the situation on board is critical, health officials are working to ensure the virus does not spread to the general population of the Canary Islands.

On Saturday, May 9, 2026, the WHO Director of Prevention and Preparedness for Epidemics and Pandemics said that "all persons present on board the ship affected by hantavirus constitute high-risk contacts and must be subject to surveillance" [2]. The ship was sailing near Tenerife and was scheduled to arrive in the islands on Sunday morning between 4:00 and 6:00 local time [3].

Despite the high risk for those on board, the WHO said that the risk to the general public and the population of the Canary Islands is low [1]. The organization's guidance focuses on containment and monitoring of the specific group exposed to the virus on the ship.

Logistics for the passengers are already underway. A group of 29 passengers, including two Belgian nationals, are scheduled to fly from Tenerife to Eindhoven [4]. This movement of high-risk contacts necessitates strict coordination between international health agencies and local authorities to ensure monitoring continues across borders.

Health officials have not released the total number of passengers on the MV Hondius, but the directive for surveillance applies to every person on the vessel [2]. The WHO continues to monitor the situation as the ship completes its arrival process in the Canary Islands [3].

“"all persons present on board the ship affected by hantavirus constitute high-risk contacts"”

The WHO's designation of all passengers as high-risk contacts reflects a precautionary approach to hantavirus, which can cause severe respiratory distress. By implementing surveillance before the ship docks, health authorities aim to isolate potential cases and prevent the virus from entering the local community, while managing the complex logistics of repatriating passengers to different countries.