Mirian Gom 
ABJA, Nigeria – The World Health Organization has reassured residents of Tenerife that the hantavirus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius poses a low public health risk and is not comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the clarification on Saturday amid growing concerns over the arrival of the Dutch-flagged vessel carrying passengers exposed to the Andes strain of hantavirus.
“I know you are worried. I know that when you hear the word outbreak and watch a ship sail toward your shores, memories surface that none of us have fully put to rest,” Tedros says in a public message to residents.
The MV Hondius recorded confirmed infections during its Atlantic voyage, with three passengers dying from the disease. About 150 passengers and crew members from 23 countries remain aboard the vessel pending emergency evacuation operations.
WHO says there is currently no evidence of symptomatic passengers remaining on the ship and maintains that the overall threat to the wider public remains minimal.
The outbreak involves the Andes strain of hantavirus, the only known variant capable of limited human-to-human transmission. The virus is primarily spread through exposure to infected rodents or contaminated materials such as saliva, urine and droppings.
Spanish authorities, in collaboration with WHO officials, have established strict evacuation protocols to prevent public exposure during disembarkation operations.
Passengers are expected to leave the ship through the industrial port of Granadilla under controlled medical supervision before being repatriated to their home countries.
Tedros says WHO has deployed experts and medical supplies to support the operation and commends Spain for handling the situation under international health regulations.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says no hantavirus case has been recorded in Nigeria, although global developments are being monitored closely.
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Hussaini Ibrahim 
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