Screengrab from X video posted by Guardia Civil Passengers and crew from more than 20 countries were evacuated from the cruise ship MV Hondius after a deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to the Andes killed three people and infected several others. The Dutch-owned polar cruise vessel arrived off Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday, where authorities launched a large-scale evacuation and repatriation operation involving military aircraft, government-chartered flights and specialist medical teams. Health authorities confirmed that six cases of hantavirus and two suspected cases had been linked to the outbreak. Three people died during the voyage, including two passengers who died onboard the vessel. The United States Department of Health and Human Services said all 17 American citizens aboard the ship were being flown back to the US. One passenger had mild symptoms, while another tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes strain of hantavirus but did not show symptoms. Two passengers were transported in biocontainment units as a precaution. The American passengers were flown to the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha for assessment and monitoring. Continuamos durante la tarde con el desembarque de los pasajeros de MV #HONDIUS . Los agentes especialistas NRBQ los reciben a su llegada al Puerto de Granadilla de Abona, para su escolta en el convoy hasta el aeropuerto Tenerife Sur. pic.twitter.com/0oMI8H8NFv — Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) May 10, 2026 Officials said one passenger would be taken to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit while others would remain under observation in a quarantine unit. French authorities also confirmed that one of five French passengers developed symptoms during the flight home. The passengers were placed in strict isolation after arriving in Paris. British authorities arranged a chartered flight carrying 22 UK nation