The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has officially activated its Emergency Operations Center, designating the ongoing hantavirus outbreak a “Level 3” emergency.
While the classification is the agency’s lowest level of activation, it allows specialized teams of epidemiologists and scientists to pivot from their daily roles to monitor a situation that has now reached four continents.
The focus of the international response is currently the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius. The cruise ship is scheduled to dock in Tenerife this Sunday, where Spanish authorities are preparing an evacuation of 140 passengers and crew.
Virginia Barcones, head of Spain’s emergency services, confirmed that those on board will be moved to a “completely isolated, cordoned-off area” upon arrival. To prevent any local exposure, passengers will be transferred via guarded vehicles directly to repatriation flights, bypassing public airport terminals.
The outbreak has already claimed three lives. Additionally, five former passengers are confirmed to be infected.
READ: New Jersey Monitors Two Residents For Hantavirus Exposure After Overseas Flight
Despite these numbers, the ship’s operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, stated on Thursday that no one currently on board is showing symptoms.
The World Health Organization has maintained that the risk to the general public remains low. Christian Lindmeier, a WHO spokesperson, noted that a flight attendant who fell ill after working a flight with an infected passenger has tested negative. “The risk remains absolutely low,” Lindmeier said. “This is not a new COVID.”
Hantavirus typically spreads through contact with rodent waste rather than human-to-human interaction. However, this specific strain, known as the Andes virus, is noted for its rare ability to jump between people.
This potential has triggered a global scramble to locate over two dozen passengers who left the ship on April 24, nearly two weeks before the virus was officially confirmed on May 2.
READ: CDC Tracks Georgia, California, Texas, And Arizona Travelers After Hantavirus Outbreak At Sea
The search for contacts is stretching across the globe. In the United Kingdom, health officials are monitoring a suspected case on the remote island of Tristan da Cunha.
This follows two other confirmed British cases currently hospitalized in the Netherlands and South Africa. Meanwhile, in Spain, a woman in Alicante is undergoing testing after showing symptoms; she had traveled on the same flight as a Dutch woman who died from the virus in Johannesburg.
To facilitate the evacuation, the United States is sending a dedicated aircraft to retrieve 17 American citizens, while the British government has announced plans to charter a private flight for its 22 nationals.
Spanish officials continue to emphasize that every precaution is being taken to ensure the evacuation remains self-contained, with Secretary of State for Health Javier Padilla confirming that isolation protocols are strictly in place.
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