Cruise Ship with Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak to Anchor Offshore Canary Islands

A cruise ship with a suspected hantavirus outbreak is heading to the Spanish Canary Islands, with five confirmed cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed the public health risk as low.

Fri May 08 2026

Confirmed Cases and Cruise Ship's Route

Five cases of hantavirus infection have been confirmed on a cruise ship suspected of a collective outbreak. The vessel is carrying approximately 150 passengers and crew, including one Japanese national, and is currently en route to the Spanish Canary Islands. According to Reuters, the cruise ship is expected to arrive at the Canary Islands on May 10th.

Detected Virus and Suspected Infection Route

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Andes virus, a type of hantavirus transmitted by rodents, was detected in confirmed patients. Andes virus is known to be transmissible from person to person through prolonged close contact. The deceased Dutch couple reportedly engaged in birdwatching at a waste disposal facility known to be inhabited by rats during their prior visits to Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. In Argentina, there have been 101 confirmed hantavirus cases since June of last year, approximately double the number from the same period in the previous year.

Canary Islands' Stance and WHO's Assessment

The authorities of the Canary Islands plan to implement full isolation measures for the cruise ship passengers until they are repatriated to their respective countries. However, the head of the Canary Islands has consistently opposed the ship's entry into port and announced that it would be anchored offshore, away from the port. The WHO has assessed the situation as serious but considers the risk to public health to be low.

*Source: YouTube: 日テレNEWS (2026-05-08)*

Tags: #Hantavirus #CruiseShip #CanaryIslands #WHO #AndesVirus